New Zealand 6-Week
Young Adult All Genders
Canyoning, Rock Climbing, Rafting, Backpacking, Environmental Conservation Internship, Māori Culture
Overview
New Zealand is a bucket list location and the film set of Lord of the Rings for a reason - it is world famous for its landscapes from glorious mountain ranges to rolling hills to the clearest lakes and rivers you've ever seen. Come experience true wonder from a country that puts the environment first!
Step into the realm of Middle-earth on the Lord of the Rings Tour. Explore iconic filming locations, where fantasy comes to life amidst breathtaking backdrops. Discover the majesty of New Zealand's highest peak - Mount Cook - as you traverse rugged trails, and breathe in the crisp mountain air. Sail through the fjords of Milford Sound, where sheer cliffs meet the deep blue waters. Pedal your way through charming Arrowtown, a historic gold-mining town, to the renowned Gibbston Valley. Feel the wind in your hair as you zoom down the Shotover River on an exhilarating jet boat, weaving through narrow canyons and experience the thrill of 360-degree spins. Embark on a cosmic adventure under the ink-black skies of Tekapo. Witness the universe unfold before your eyes, surrounded by the brilliance of stars. Rappel down waterfalls, leap into crystal-clear pools, and zipline over the natural water slides of Routbourne Canyon. It's an adrenaline-pumping adventure set amidst nature's playground... and more!
6-Week New Zealand
Wellness Adventure
March 7 - April 17, 2024
17-24 years old
All Genders
42 Days
Queenstown, Wanaka, Mt. Cook
Group of 5-12
Want more information?
Download our info packed Program Guide!
Students explore all that New Zealand has to offer by embarking on incredible adventures of a lifetime including:
Lord of the Rings Tour • Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park • Tekapo Dark Sky Project & Observatory
Shotover River Jet Boat • Kayak Moke Lake • Wanaka Sport Climbing • Canyoning Routbourne • Hike Moonlight Track
Explore Queenstown • Lavender Farm • and more!
We work with local organizations to curate intentional cultural immersion activities including:
Te Anou Glowworm Caves • Walter Peak Farm • Dairy Farm Experience
Explore Dunedin • Beekeeping Tour • and more!
Therapeutic Coach & Program Instructors
• On-site 24/7 for mental health support, group cohesion, and skill development.
PSYCHOEDUCATION
• Core curriculum & wellness skills workshops.
PARENT COACHING
• 3 sessions at the beginning of the program, and 3 sessions at the end, will be given to prepare families to aid in students adjusting to program life and during reintegration back home.
Interested in a longer wellness adventure? Check out our 10-Week option.
Our program uses 8 Components to create lasting change:
Students fly together with their instructor to gorgeous Queenstown, New Zealand and arrive at their new home for the next 10-weeks. Here the students will live together with two Program Instructors and Wellness Director in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable. Our home is nested in the hillside and boasts this stunning view. Only minutes from our home are three stunning lakes, endless trails and the Remarkables Mountain Range.
A key component of our program is learning the confidence and skills to live independently away from home. One day per week is dedicated to life skills - cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, budgeting, culinary skills. Together these students take on learning how to share a home, be good roommates, good housemates, and share responsibility in household chores. Students not only get cleaning lessons, but also are split into cooking groups where they take on the challenge of meal planning for the week, breaking down the meals into a grocery list, grocery shopping, making and keeping a grocery budget, and passing off to the next group. Each night the students cook dinner together with music on, learn the joy of creating their own meals, and sit down to a big “family” dinner.
Tackling the deep loneliness that post-COVID, social media influenced students often experience. Community is a key element in our programs, creating the most crucial lifelong skill that every student needs.
Living together in a house naturally engages the students in conflict resolution, problem solving, empathy, and communication skills. This also creates close peer to peer learning and the sense of belonging that comes from building and contributing to a supportive community. Our programs are mostly technology free which offers a well deserved break from a screen and leaves nothing but space for face to face encounters. Throughout the week the group heads out as a team taking on adventures and every evening at dinner students share affirmations celebrating each other for overcoming the day's challenges. After dinner the students take to evening games, dancing, karaoke nights, and hilarious retelling of stories from earlier that day.
The program also utilises “captain of the day” to engage in individual leadership skills as well as small groups to foster peer to peer discussion and accountability. Our program instructors facilitate endless group games like capture the flag in the backyard or after a long day of activities the group has the chance to lay by the pool. By the end of the program the students have created deep meaningful friendships that often continue long after the program is over.
We partner with local organizations to create meaningful service opportunities where students learn about environmental sustainability and give back to the local community, connect with nature, and create a sense of belonging in the world. Conservation is a core value in New Zealand and you will be working aside local experts. They complete 30 Volunteer Hours.
Wilding Pines on Ben Lomand
A large priority in environmental conversation in New Zealand involves taming the wilding Pines. Kiwis are working tirelessly to take back their hillsides and protect native bush and Beach Trees from invasive species. Join local conservation experts in some of the most beautiful hikes imaginable learning about native flora and fauna and how to project New Zealand native plants.
Queenstown is known as the "Adventure Capital of the World" for a reason, there is no end to hiking trails, lakes, mountain ranges, biking trails, zip lining, canyoning, rafting, luging, bungee jumping, parasailing, jet boating, rock climbing, and skydiving only minutes away in any direction. This location offers endless outdoor adventure like you have never seen before.
Our programs offer a range of thrilling adventures to stretch out of the comfort zone, build new capabilities and confidence, and make for some really good stories! Two adventure days every week.
We work with local organizations to curate intentional cultural immersion activities where students can learn about diverse values, world views, skills, and life habits. Through this, students expand their worldview and enjoy a global perspective and new lens to view their lives at home. In New Zealand you will experience both a modern Kiwi culture involving the outdoors and sheep dogs, as well as the indigenous Maori culture. We take a week long excursion to Rotorura to respectfully learn the history of the Maori people, language, culture, customs, and of course the Haka.
Wellness Workshops
Weekly workshops include group discussions and games around the meaning and purpose of the 7 dimensions of wellness: Emotional, Academic/Intellectual, Financial, Spiritual, Environmental, Physical, Social.
These workshops focus on peer-to-peer learning, allowing for group discussion and games around the meaning and purpose of each area of wellness and possible tools to be used to attend to each area of wellness. Students will discuss how each area of wellness affects them and bring optional new skills to incorporate into daily life. The workshop will end with a hands-on activity applying the new skills learned.
Core Curriculum
Living together teaches conflict resolution, problem solving + empathy. This is supported by our psychoeducational core curriculum focusing on weekly lessons focused on inter/intra-personal relationship skills, personal values, and tangible coping skills that will create long lasting connections to themselves, their communities, and their goals.
- Effective Communication Skills
- Self Awareness & Tuning Into Feelings
- Conflict Resolution & Relationship Building
- Coping Skills
- Core Beliefs and Values
- Personal Responsibility & Leadership
- Resilience & Reintegration
New Zealand takes on Environmental Conservation like no other country. Students learn from leading experts how to care for New Zealand's unique environment. Not only do students get to learn about the indigenous flora and fauna and their care in New Zealand but also the many professional roles required to care for their lands. Students get a behind the scenes look at the operations, organisation model, government standard requirements, and staff roles and try their hands at a multitude of real life responsibilities.
Students get 30 hours of hands on experience protecting indigenous species and a certificate of completion.
Wrap-around support is achieved by bringing all student supports into the experience.
On Site Wellness Director
On our programs a licensed therapist serves as our Wellness Director and lives on site 24/7 with the student’s for the entirety of the program. The Wellness Director supports the group’s collective program journey by integrating intentional wellness practices into the daily routine as well as facilitates weekly group core sessions and wellness workshops. Our Wellness Director does not provide any clinical or medical services, however, they will coordinate weekly with each family's home therapist to facilitate each student's individual growth.
At-Home Family Talk Therapist
We believe in partnering with a family’s current at home therapist. Families have already spent careful time and attention to selecting the right clinical therapist for them, someone they have been diligently working with, and knows the student well. We believe this is the best person to support the student through the program as well as sustain their learning while integrating back home. Prior to the program, the student’s therapist will be contacted by our team and be intimately involved through the intake and goal setting process. During the program one full day per week is reserved for student wellness practices, during which each student will have a weekly appointment with their at-home therapist virtually to discuss their program experience, learning, challenges, and goals. Our program’s Wellness Director will be in contact with each student’s home therapist for holistic care and to fully support each individual student’s inner journey.
Parent Involvement
It is pivotal that parents and guardians are involved in the growth process. Parents are engaged from the start in the intake process, assisting with preparation and goals setting. During the program, our Wellness Director will communicate with parents weekly regarding the group and individual student journey. In addition parents can participate in an optional weekly parent course that mirrors the student curriculum so that everyone is on the same page when the students return home. After the program, parents and at-home therapists will be essential in reintegrating the student back home and supporting the sustainability of the student’s growth at home and help apply that growth to future chapters of their lives.
NEW! PARENT COACHING
Three (3) sessions at the beginning of the program, and three (3) sessions at the end, will be given to prepare families to aid in students adjusting to program life and during reintegration back home.
Program Instructors
On program there are 2 program instructors who are experts in experiential education and travel who live with the group for the entire program. These instructors participate in every activity with the students and help them work towards the program goals providing consistent individual and group support.
Peer Group Support
Peer to peer learning and support is key for personal development. Students utilise small groups throughout the program for self learning, discussion, and accountability.
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