True North Wilderness Program
Waitsfield, VT

True North Wilderness Program is excited to announce that we have welcomed Mike Balotti to our team. Mike will join our staff as Director of Admissions. Mike brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of education including extensive experience with both traditional and therapeutic programming as well as educational consulting.

Mike has worked closely with adolescents and their families for over a decade. From writing curriculum and teaching at a residential environmental education center, helping establish an international therapeutic boarding school, and to guiding students and families through their personal and academic journeys as a consultant, Mike has supported kids and parents in a variety of important roles.

Mike's commitment to education and the outdoors dates back to the early 1990's when he participated in the Audubon Expedition Institute, a traveling school that focuses on environmental education. Since then he has completed a self-designed undergraduate degree combining education, environmental studies, and sociology as well as pursuing a master's degree in international education. Additionally, Mike has followed his love of the wilderness across five continents including summiting Point Lenana on Mount Kenya, hiking through virgin old growth rainforest in Central America, canoeing through the cypress swamps of the Southeastern United States, skiing the Dolomites in Northern Italy, and exploring the ancient Andean city of Machu Picchu.

This abundance of rich experiences has accumulated to help Mike understand the value and significance of wilderness throughout the therapeutic process, and he looks forward to serving families and professionals in his new capacity.

Please feel free to contact Mike directly with any inquiries or questions you have about True North. You may reach him at (215) 888-1318 or at mbalotti@truenorthvt.com