John de la Howe School

Tthe Wilderness Program is a year round therapeutic experience. This experiential program operates in conjunction with, but separately from the campus program. It serves boys in the 6th through 8th grades. The campers live in a group that consists of ten boys and two live-in counselors. Children are given opportunities to grow, both in their individual maturity and in their relationships with peers, parents, and other family members, as well as other adults. A major emphasis is placed on building family strengths through extensive family involvement. The program offers the opportunity for a child to turn his life around, so that he and his family can find new and lasting opportunities for success and happiness.

Campers live in campsites with permanent wooden structures, but without electricity and hot water. The campsites are approximately ½ mile from the administration building, classrooms, dinning hall, and shower facilities. Children learn basic lessons in personal responsibility by living in structured small group settings, helping build and maintain their camp buildings, planning for and cooking all of their weekend meals on a wood stove, and cleaning their living areas and equipment. Campers live by a schedule that requires the use of self-discipline, group motivation and planning to accomplish the required tasks each day. Groups participate in Challenge Course activities, backpacking trips, canoeing, and rafting as a part of the program. Each afternoon, after school, the group also participates in caring for the horses, building projects, and gardening.

The Wilderness Program classroom functions as an annex to the existing John de la Howe School. Therefore, the Wilderness School’s calendar will closely coincide with the campus calendar. The classroom has a 1:10 teacher to student ratio. Campers are eligible to earn school credit in basic academic subjects.

Upon completion of the program, a transcript of final grades will be forwarded to the school in which the student will be returning.

While the morning school session is devoted to academic core subjects, the afternoon session consists of a variety of outdoor experiential learning events that provide the students the opportunity to practice their academic skills. Those events include but are not limited to, meal planning, equine therapy, challenge course, and construction projects.

Opportunities are also provided to learn about the environment and conservation through nature skills development (orienteering, tree identification, forestry skills, etc.) using our 1200-acre campus and the surrounding Strom Thurmond Lake.