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WISDOM RANCH SCHOOL
Arco, Idaho
Monte MacConnell – Founder/ Director
208-527-4750
www.wisdomranch.org
Visit by: Cindy Barnett and Judi Bessette - February 1, 2005
(Cindy Barnett is based in Toronto, Canada and Judi Bessette
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Both have started practices focusing
on troubled teens. You can reach Cindy (Portolano Educational
Consulting) at cindy@portolanoec.com
and Judi (Compass Educational Consulting) at judib@compassconsultingwi.com)
The tone was set for our visit to Wisdom Ranch School the
morning we met John Tucker, Admissions Director, and Tom Harvey,
Director of Students, at Pickles Café in Arco. We were
the city girls in dress jeans surrounded by ranchers wearing
work jeans and cowboy hats, eating chicken fried steak and
eggs while discussing high school athletics and local politics.
We stopped to collect mail for the ranch and its neighbors
before setting out under an endless blue sky and wide-open
spaces. We knew immediately this is a place where neighbors
look out for one another and the future holds promise for
those willing to work.
Wisdom Ranch School provides young men and their families
with the opportunity to discover (or rediscover) their inner
excellence. Upon meeting the three rugged founders of the
school, Monte MacConnell, Tom and John, and experiencing their
calm, deliberate nature, one quickly understands why the philosophy
at Wisdom Ranch – that relationships coupled with experiences
help students identify their passions – is so successful.
Wisdom Ranch is a working ranch located in the foothills of
the Pioneer Mountains in southern Idaho. Everyone at the ranch
– adults and students alike – plays a role in the ranch operations,
led by the three founders who all look more like ranchers
than therapists or teachers.
In addition to developing horse sense and all that entails,
students have almost unlimited opportunities to develop expertise
in areas like carpentry, auto mechanics, welding and metal
working. While the staff teaches many of these skills, the
ranch taps into the skills of local residents as the need
arises, helping to make Wisdom Ranch a real part of the community.
The school is housed in a large yurt where students attend
traditional classes in English, math, science and history.
The yurt is also the hub of individualized learning opportunities
and special projects identified by students. Author Dan Hays
is the English teacher and school director, whose passion
for learning appeared contagious among the boys who were in
session. One young man we observed was conducting an independent
research project on the work of Joseph Campbell, which will
culminate in either a paper or a seminar for other students.
The school can grant a high school diploma and, in some cases,
offers course work that qualifies for college credits.
Yurts also serve as dormitories for most of the students.
There are two family groups and two yurt sites. Up to 10 students
and three staff live together, along with at least one cat
and one dog. Each site has a large yurt that serves as a dorm
and another that houses the kitchen and bathroom facilities.
The yurts have wooden floors and wood-burning stoves that
keep them toasty warm even on cold winter nights. These self-sufficient
homes (each is complete with solar power panels and spring-fed
water) create a living environment that contributes to the
development of relationships with others.
Boys 15 and over (yes, 18+ are welcome) who want to be at
Wisdom Ranch and who have average to above average intelligence
are good candidates for enrollment. Typically, the boys who
enroll are struggling at home, at school, and their lives
lack focus. To be successful at Wisdom Ranch, a young man
must be able to engage in relationships, respond to positive
peer culture and enjoy hands-on opportunities. By design,
this is a small school with a current maximum of 22 students
and no immediate plans to grow the student body.
To ensure that nothing is missed in the admissions process,
each student starts his experience in an adventure interview
with several staff and an older student or two. This camping
trip (which may include fishing, rock climbing or riding)
assists the student in getting acquainted with the program
as well as helping him to establish some personal goals he
can take with him into the yurt community.
Without the distractions of TV, computer games and instant
messaging, students are challenged to learn to use their generous
amounts of free time to create positive experiences for themselves,
a skill that will serve them throughout their lives. Other,
more concrete life skills such as meal planning, grocery shopping,
cooking and money management help prepare the boys for independent
living.
The highlight of our visit was meeting several students. Some
of the boys were in town, doing their grocery shopping and
a few were doing chores (including one boy who was working
the newest horse), but the rest were in the school or doing
independent work. The young men we talked to were charming
in their own special ways. They were each excited about some
aspect of the program – ranch life, working with horses, learning
new skills like welding and school (yes – school!) Families
share in this excitement by participating in experiential
workshops and a special graduation program. There is a minimum
six-month stay with an average stay of 10 – 12 months.
Developing ranch hands is not a goal of the program, although
a couple of recent graduates discovered a passion for ranching
and found work locally. Most grads go on to college or trade
schools.
Wisdom Ranch left us with a very good feeling about the work
that is taking place there. The founders should be pleased
with the opportunities the ranch offers the young men and
the families they serve.
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Copyright ©
2005, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced
without prior approval if the copyright notice and proper
publication and author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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