There are no bells, no lockers, no football teams or cheerleaders. But that is not what makes school at Discovery Ranch different from other academic institutions.
“One of the great strengths of the ranch is the ratio of adults to students,” says Lee Jensen, Educational Director. “In the classroom the ratio is five to one, or less. There is a lot of one on one instruction and all of the programs are self-paced and individualized.”
As a former public school teacher and administrator, Jensen says a traditional classroom setting of 30 students is extremely difficult for what he calls “lost or troubled students.” “If they’re with that teacher for an hour, the most the teacher could spend is about a minute with each student.”
“We have an opportunity for students to bond with a variety of adults who offer them encouragement, insight, and assistance,” Jensen explains. “They’re not going to get that in a normal school setting.”
Jensen says because Discovery Ranch focuses on therapeutic interventions, many parents are surprised at the quality and depth of academic offerings available to their students. Eleven certified teachers, along with two testing proctors, 3-4 tutors and six mentors work one on one with students teaching math, social studies, English, and science. In addition to the core curriculum, students may take electives that include calculus, chemistry, foreign language, and music.
The school day typically runs Monday through Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Each course is taught by a licensed educator and study time is built into the class schedule.
Fridays are generally reserved for experiential activities. “That’s either an on-campus learning activity for all students or a special off-campus activity for students who have earned the right to leave,” Jensen notes.
Past experiential activities have included trips to the planetarium, city council meetings, volunteer work in the community, theatre or music performances, or athletic events.
Guest speakers at the ranch covered topics such as running your own business, military life and careers, and a zoologist who enthralled students with a live python.
“We’re only limited to the imagination of the teaching staff,” Jensen says.
The Discovery Ranch academics are provided by Discovery Academy, a nationally accredited Therapeutic Boarding School.
In addition to therapeutic evaluations and treatment plans, every Discovery Ranch student has an academic evaluation. Students, teachers, parents, educators and therapists all give input and Jensen and his staff create an individual education plan. According to Jensen, the plan includes giving students credit for material they’ve already learned.
“It’s very encouraging for students to get credit for what they’ve already accomplished,” he notes.
Teachers at the ranch try to keep students as close to grade level as possible. That makes it easier for them to transition back to mainstream schools when their Discovery experience is over.
Certified special education teachers are also on staff to provide assistance to students with additional learning challenges.
Lee says the ranch helps students make new discoveries about their academic abilities as well as their behavioral issues. “A light goes on,” he explains. Students see their educational experience in a whole different way. “They go from saying, ‘I’m never going to graduate from high school or go beyond’ to saying, ‘I can do this. I can graduate and I can go on.’”
“A lot of our students have been outstanding students but they just had difficulty with life,” he says. “We’re putting them back on track for them to maximize their full academic potential – not just get good grades.”
“Ultimately, that’s the whole purpose of the ranch,” he says. “To give students the skill sets they may not have received in a more traditional setting.”
Jerry Christensen,
Experiential Director
Jerry Christensen loves the same thing about working with teenagers as he does working with horses. “Taking a young horse that has a problem and seeing that willingness come. Seeing the horse figure out, ‘This guy’s OK. He always gives me a way to succeed – a reward or a solution.’ Watching that positive change.”
Jerry’s been in love with horses for as long as he can remember. Born in Price, Utah, as a child Jerry rode every chance he got. A fall from a horse in second grade broke his arm but not his love for the animals.
By the time he was in his 20’s he was fascinated with training horses. He asked questions, “lots of questions,” went to clinics and read books. “Sometimes you just need to go participate and learn,” he says of that experience. “Don’t be afraid. Just do it and learn from it.”
Jerry says that’s one thing he tries to help his students understand. Students progress from working with horses to learning to ride. But he’s quick to explain, “We’re not teaching horsemanship. We’re really teaching them about relationships.” Building trust and communication are two critical elements students must master to succeed with both.
Jerry owns five horses of his own and in his off hours he enjoys team roping on Rooster, a 10-year-old quarter horse. He loves to ski and baseball is his current favorite sport. “I really like them all,” he says.
That’s one reason he became certified on the ropes course. He now guides students on high and low ropes courses as well as equestrian activities.
The best thing about his Discovery Ranch job? “Being able to see the difference when a kid comes all tied in knots and seeing them work through that. Seeing them realize the solution lies with them.”
Lee Jensen,
Director of Education
He grew up in Montana, played semi-professional basketball in Denmark, and loves murder mysteries. Lee Jensen is a man of many talents and interests.
“My grandfather was a small town doctor in Utah,” he says. Lee’s mother traveled from the family home in Los Angeles to have her father deliver his grandson. That marked the beginning of Lee’s life of travel.
As a youth he lived in northern California and Montana. He worked as a missionary for his church in Denmark, where he met and married his wife. Lee graduated from the University of Copenhagen and was accepted to Columbia University’s doctoral program.
He turned that offer down and instead pursued teaching and administrative positions in secondary education. He’s been a college professor and worked in curriculum development for the private sector.
But the lure of Discovery Ranch proved irresistible. Although he had experience working with adults in a 12-step rehabilitation program, Lee says Discovery Ranch is more personally rewarding.
“I missed what I think is more down to earth realness about the younger generation,” he says. “The idea of working with youth before they got to the point where the only thing that matters is their addiction was very appealing.”
“What we’re involved with, in my opinion, is preventative. We’re trying to give them the building blocks to avoid future problems in adulthood.”
Welcome to the quarterly newsletter for Discovery Ranch. We’re pleased to offer news and information to enhance your family’s DR experience. In the coming months you’ll see updates on programs, information about our staff, relationship helps and parenting tips from respected authors and speakers. We also welcome your contributions. Please give us your feedback at editor@discoveryranch.net
Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, said, “Service is the rent we pay for living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time.”
Discovery Ranch students are learning that service has benefits beyond what they may have ever before experienced.
Terri Miller, Girls Program Coordinator, says, “When they come here the focus is all on them.” But that focus soon shifts as students participate in a variety of volunteer projects such as planting trees, Sub for Santa, buddy soccer and baseball leagues for children with disabilities, and other service projects.
Miller says working, with no thought of “what’s in it for me” has been good for Discovery students. The buddy sports league pairs a child with a mental or physical disability with a Discovery student. They play side by side throughout the game, Discovery students teaching basic sports skills and cheering their buddies on.
“A lot of our kids have never been around children with mental or physical handicaps,” Miller notes. “But they jumped right in. They’re always talking about their little buddy and they can’t wait to get to the next game.”
The athletes and their parents feel the same. “They love our kids. They come up afterwards and thank them.”
Discovery students spent hours laying sod and planting trees for a local city. Their reward? A Popsicle. Miller admits some kids hated the hard work in the hot sun but others walked away feeling like they had made the community better.
Ironically, this doing for others philosophy ends up helping the students with their own struggles. “There’s a therapeutic component to service,” says Dr. Wendy Turnbow, a Discovery Ranch therapist. “A lot of the kids feel ashamed and guilty because of their choices. They may have had court-ordered service before but nothing that they wanted to do. This really helps them to be able to give back to the community. It builds their self-esteem and helps them develop empathy for others. It helps them see what they’ve got and what they can do for others.”
Discovery administrators feel so strongly about community service each student must organize a “FAM” or “Forget About Me” project in order to graduate.
Miller provides the student with a list of organizations needing volunteer help, as well as a contact person. But it’s up to the student to select the project that interests them most, contact the agency, and organize the service work. The student is required to write a paper describing the project and how the work will be accomplished. When the work is finished students must write about what they learned and what they might do differently.
“We’ve helped at nursing homes, stocked food at the food pantry, cleaned elderly people’s homes and yards, all kinds of things,” she says. “It really opens up their eyes.”
“Experiential philosophy is about doing hands on,” Dr. Turnbow states. “It’s putting into practice the things that you’re teaching them. The kids can talk the talk but putting them into action has so much more impact.”
Perhaps one of the most heartwarming service projects was the recent Sub for Santa activity.
“We asked parents to send one less gift and explain to their child why they were donating to our Sub for Santa instead,” Miller says. “With that money, we took our kids to Wal-Mart and went shopping.”
Each Discovery student was assigned a child to shop for. “We got them clothes, toys and a couple of school supplies. Then we let all of the kids at the ranch take the gifts to the home and sing Christmas carols to the family.”
One after another the students told staff, “Thank you so much for letting us do that. It was one of the best days I’ve had at the ranch. It was awesome!”
Turnbow says one of her patients who participated in the activity had been struggling with depression. “He came back and talked about how cool it was and how he knew the child would like his presents the best. The student knew he was doing something that had some importance.”
Miller notes, “If they’re taught to take some time and do something for someone else, hopefully they’ll leave here and want to continue doing that in their community. These kids are going to go out and make a difference.”
Dealing with a troubled teen often brings parents of all backgrounds together with a common bond. Regardless of their incomes or education, their goal is the same. How can I help my child? Most are willing to do everything possible to help their teen get back on track.
Every month we are contacted by literally hundreds of parents seeking help. Many of then are unable to bear the financial burden that goes with enrollment.
Conversely, we are often approached by parents who are so grateful for what our program has done for their child that they wish to make a charitable donation of some sort.
These individuals often remark the only difference between their family and others in similar situations is the financial resources available for treatment.
To meet both of these needs, in 2002 we formed National Youth Mentoring Network, or NYMN, a 501c3 non-profit organization. Tax-deductible contributions may be made to NYMN that will be used to fund scholarships for students in need.
This year we hope to provide treatment opportunities for six students who would otherwise be unable to participate. Depending upon the program and length of stay, we anticipate that cost to be $250,000. Contributions from individuals, corporations or foundations are welcomed.
We invite you to participate in this very worthwhile effort. For more information about NYMN, please contact Stephen Schultz at 801-491-2270.
by Linda Kavelin-Popov
One summer morning, I was speaking at a family retreat center in rural Alberta, when suddenly the excited call rang out, “Moose! Moose!” The adults rushed out of the building to find their children pouring out of their classrooms, racing ahead toward a meadow where a moose and her calf were grazing.
Mother animals in the wild can be dangerously fierce when their young are threatened, and I could feel the alarm in the voices of parents as they yelled, “Don’t run!” The children seemed to hear only the word, “run” as they flew toward the field.
Knowing that children focus better on what we DO want them to do instead of what we don’t want them to do, I looked for a natural boundary, and called out, “Stop at the mowed line and hit the ground!” The children obeyed instantly, skidding to a stop and going down on their stomachs at the mowed edge before the tall grasses of the meadow – a safe distance from Mama Moose and her baby.
As I caught up to them, I acknowledged their respect for the moose and their cooperation in staying safe. The adults joined the children on the ground, and we were all mesmerized as the moose and her calf danced on their hind legs to nibble the succulent leaves of a tall willow, and nuzzled each other. A potential disaster became a sacred memory.
How do we set boundaries with our children and youth that inspire cooperation rather than merely require compliance, that build character instead of resistance? Three simple practices create lasting, healthy boundaries that work:
1. The KISS principle: Keep it Sweet and Simple
Keep boundaries very simple, positive, and moderate. Have only three or four for your household or organization. Focus on what you DO want, not what you don’t want. For example, one boundary of an outdoor adventure program is: “We use respectful language at all times.” “No curse words” fails to express the true intent of the boundary found in the virtue of respect. Use memorable phrases such as “This house is a Peace Zone. We don’t put each other down. We lift each other up.” Include youth in deciding “how we want to treat each other in our home/group/school.” Create no more than three or four boundaries and use virtues words in each one. They are the meaning at the heart of any rule.
2. Be Assertive and Trustworthy. Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say.
Don’t make it a boundary unless you intend to enforce it every single time. Once the boundaries are agreed on, stand absolutely firm. Children learn that you can be trusted when you are an assertive leader. Any kid worth his or her salt will test a boundary to see if you mean it. Too many of us want our children’s approval and we beg, nag, plead, or use guilt and threats, or let things slide when we feel helpless. All that does is to give kids a sense that they have too much power over us, which isn’t healthy or helpful. When discipline is fair, constant and reliable, it empowers children to develop self-discipline.
3. Offer Restorative Justice
Have immediate educative – not punitive – consequences when boundaries are violated, with a way to make amends. A good example is the adventure program with the boundary of respectful language. Youth on a three-month outdoor experience were nearing the end of a long trek in the rain carrying heavy back packs. At one point, one of the kids lost it, threw down his pack and started cursing, “I hate this f---ing program!” Immediately, the counselors called out “Circle up!” and instructed him and the group to come up with 20 ways he could have expressed what he was feeling while still using respectful language. A groan went up from the group, all of whom were exhausted. They began. “I hate this program!” “I’m sick and tired of this hike.” “I can’t stand this much longer.” “I’m really tired and hungry. I wish we could stop.” “I need some mercy!,” until they reached twenty. The counselors then shocked them all by taking three steps forward, saying, “Okay. Here’s the campsite where we are stopping.” They cared enough and had the integrity and trustworthiness to enforce the boundary every single time.
A word about personal boundaries: Be a good example of self-care by scheduling a massage, a daily walk, or time with a friend to restore and recharge. You’re worth it!
Linda Kavelin Popov is author of The Family Virtues Guide and The Virtues Project Educator’s Guide, co-founder of The Virtues Project ™ , and an international speaker on personal and global transformation. www.virtuesproject.com. See www.paceofgrace.net for a list of virtues definitions.
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