Santiam Crossing Brings Nutritionist To Campus

Santiam Crossing School has hired Nutritionist Dana Train to work with students to help them assimilate healthy eating habits into their lives.

"The connection between what we eat and its impact on our long-term health is so important. To share with teenagers what constitutes healthy eating and teach them delicious recipes using nutritious foods is a dream come true," explained Santiam Crossing School's Nutritionist Dana Train.

Train is a registered and licensed dietician and brings to Santiam Crossing science-based nutritional knowledge with a real-world approach.

"Dana is giving our students cooking demonstrations, working to source more local and sustainable food options for our campus meals, and is revamping our menus. Healthy eating ties right into our wilderness adventure program. In order to take part in activities such as mountain biking, climbing, whitewater rafting and the like you need to ensure your body is properly fueled to sustain the physical endurance those activities require. Having Dana join our staff team brings so much value to our students," said Santiam Crossing Program Director Ryan Sturch.

At Santiam Crossing, students work together in groups to prepare their meals. They earn food handler permits, gain elective credits, and also benefit from taking responsibility for cooking and cleaning up after meals.

Santiam Crossing is a therapeutic boarding school for adolescents ages 14 to 18. Students benefit from extensive therapy, a family reunification program, academic credit recovery, an academic-based wilderness adventure program, and an adventure-focused professional development certification program. Santiam Crossing is a great option for adolescents who are struggling with behavioral issues; poor academic achievement; and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, attachment issues, and trauma. The majority of our students are using drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. The average length-of-stay is eight to nine months. Attendance of a therapeutic wilderness program is a pre-requisite for enrollment.

Santiam Crossing's academic program is accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC). The therapeutic boarding school is licensed by the State of Oregon and is a registered private school.