Summit Achievement has had an academic component since it started operations in 1996. The impetus, at that time, was that one of the co-founders was working as a psychotherapist at a Northeast Boarding School and counseled many students who had gone to wilderness programs before enrolling at the school. He observed that many of those […]
Summit Achievement has achieved being one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious accredited programs for struggling teens by providing our students and their families with high-quality treatment, challenging academics, and outdoor experiences. At times we are asked if we “scare straight troubled teens.” We use the term “struggling teens“ versus “troubled teens” as we […]
On a regular bases the Summit admissions team is asked, “Are you like Outward Bound?” Our response is “Yes and no”. HOW SUMMIT ACHIEVEMENT AND OUTWARD BOUND ARE SIMILAR We respond “Yes” as Outward Bound and Summit Achievement combine experiential education and outdoor education programs to help young people create change in their lives. Both organizations are […]
Summit has been providing wilderness therapy and education at our residential facility in the mountains of western Maine since 1996. Summit is unique in the field as 99% of our students come with their parents for enrollment. The other 1% come with family members or family friends. We do not enroll students via transport companies. One […]
SUMMIT ACHIEVEMENT IS PROUD TO BE ONE OF ONLY TWO WILDERNESS THERAPY PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE COMPLETED THIS VIGOROUS RE-ACCREDITATION PROCESS. We, at Summit Achievement, have just completed the vigorous re-accreditation process by the Association for Experiential Education for Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs. By completing this process, Summit Achievement has been awarded accreditation for […]
Summit Achievement incorporates mindfulness, as well as mindfulness meditation, in different segments of the program. Every day there are periods of time of silent reflection with the most notable being before each meal when the community stands in a circle in silence for a period of time. Spending Thursday through Sunday out in nature without […]
Summit Achievement has been a member of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council (OBH) since 2000 (to go to the OBH website, click here). We have participated in ongoing research to promote the field and prove the efficacy of our work. Below is a video recently published by OBH about this work. To see outcome research specific […]
Most of us imagine wilderness therapy to be weeks in the woods. Often, if “academic courses” are offered, they are facilitated in an environment that is far from the formal school and classroom experience and often do not align with a student’s course and credit needs. Journaling around a campfire, exploring flora and fauna along […]
For over 26 years, Summit Achievement, a hybrid Adventure Therapy and residential treatment program located in Maine, has operated during the holidays. Those outside the field may think it is difficult to enroll or work at a treatment program during the holidays, but that is not the case, as we have honed our model through […]
Summit Achievement was an experience that was equal parts rewarding and challenging, and resulted in the most profound growth period of my life. When I arrived at Summit I was anxious and scared. Throughout my first few days at Summit, all I could think about was that I wanted to go home. I wanted to […]