Fulshear Ranch Academy
Needville, TX

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Taking Life Skills To Alaska

Discover Alaska...Discover You!

Alaskan coastlines offer a matchless canvas for life's greatest lessons. The unpredictable weather, icy cold water, caving glaciers, unabated wildlife, and awe inspiring scenery give opportunities to reflect on both the hardships and beauty life offers. Fulshear Ranch recently teamed with Breakwater Expeditions for the experience of a lifetime. Six young women traveled to Prince William Sound, seeking invaluable life skills and the unique rewards of immersion in a natural environment. Accompanied by positive role models and immersed in America's wild frontier, these young women learned to face adversity, trust in themselves and make responsible decisions. Furthermore, they also learned to take care of their sea kayaks and to navigate the chilly waters with skill, cooperation and perseverance. What a priceless metaphor for the path of life! Clearly these young women returned from Alaska with a more positive sense of self and a set of skills that will benefit them and their relationships for years to come.

Discovering Alaska encouraged the young women to discover themselves in unique ways. Our quarterly expeditions reinforce many skills that clients learn at both our treatment and transition locations. Sea kayaking invited each team to balance group concerns with self-sufficiency. Positivity was crucial to this delicate balance. The wilderness offered a poignant reminder to Fulshear women that criticism and negativity lead to discouragement, discord, and distraction.

Our staff also supported the Fulshear women in their journey. Clients learn to see, feel, hear, speak, and taste life experiences that instill competency, confidence, and enthusiasm. A crucial part of their learning process is the Life Skills Program. The ultimate goal of this program is to facilitate self-sufficiency. Learning modules include lessons in Employment & Workplace, Education, Finance & Budgeting, Health & Nutrition, Communication Skills, Transportation, Organizational Systems & Time Management, Personal Safety Precautions, Volunteering & Community Engagement, and Accessing Government Services. The young women learn to successfully interview for a job, to obtain an academic scholarship, and to open a bank account. They learn to get a valid driver's license, lease an apartment, and to mentor other young women to lead successful lives.

Fulshear's specialized transition staff ensure that when each student nears graduation, they are fully prepared for independent living. Each young woman navigates her own life: Her schedule, her living situation, and her future. She learns how to continually progress and serve her community.

In Alaska, once the young women took responsibility for their attitudes, they were empowered to be reliable partners and strong leaders. They realized that with determination, they put their differences aside, helped each other and blazed forward on journeys to realizing their potential.