PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Galena Ridge provides a small, high quality, rigorous outdoor adventure program with strong educational and emotional growth components. We challenge students and their families to address difficult emotional issues and make positive changes in their lives. Our philosophy follows a 12-step process model, holding students accountable for their behavior while addressing underlying emotional issues. Our activities include backpacking, orienteering, canoeing, primitive living skills, environmental awareness activities, service projects, and emotional growth education. A family conference is scheduled at the end of the summer program.
Base Camp is located on 10 acres of forested land bordering the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area in Northwest Montana. The facility includes a pond, camping area and barn. Our program is conducted primarily in remote and scenic wilderness areas throughout western Montana and utilizes our base camp for course preparation and counseling sessions.
Students: Students enrolled in our program are typically teenagers who have been experiencing conflict in their home lives and who may be having difficulty in school. They are usually struggling with emotional issues and acting out self-destructive or otherwise inappropriate behaviors. They may have problems with motivation, self-esteem, adoption, family and peer relationships, and drug, alcohol or nicotine use. Galena Ridge is not an appropriate placement for students that have a history of severe violence toward others, psychoses, sexual abuse perpetration, or suicide attempts.
Course Schedule: Each year from May through August, students attend for an average stay of 4 - 12 weeks, with rolling admission between expeditions. Our base of operations is located five miles from Trout Creek (population 400), adjacent to national forest land in the mountainous region of Northwest Montana. Although we operate courses all over western Montana, we return to base camp between expeditions for resupply, course debriefs, and our family conference in August.