Our keys to success include developing a community that is solution focused rather than problem focused and that includes a commitment to ADD teens and their families by every person who is part of our team.

1. All activities in the wilderness have multiple levels of meaning.

   Immersing teens in wilderness survival and the basic rituals of shelter, water, fire, and food provides them tremendous value. Only after having a wilderness experience can teens understand how these survival skills translate into their everyday life as self-advocacy and leadership skills. Also, after having had a successful, safe experience in the wilderness, teens learn that they can transfer those skills to enable them to have successful, safe experiences anywhere.

2. A supportive community of peers and elders is necessary to leadership development.

   ADD Student Leadership believes in nurturing a healthy community and family is the primary community. Therefore we believe parental involvement is essential. Parents are involved both at the beginning and end of the program.

   We also believe that a, peer-based community of 13-18 years old teens provides an environment where older teens can mentor younger children. Older teens are able to articulate the experience of having gone through many of the challenges that younger teens face. Having “been there” the older teens can help to normalize some of the disturbing challenges younger teens face and will provide solution focused tools that will enable them to navigate their issues successfully.

3. The Family Community

   After experiencing the benefits of the program, families should not return to pathways at home where children and parents are often locked into unconsciously disempowering behaviors. Parents’ and teens unconscious often sabotage the potential for the family to realize its’ full leadership potential. In order to change disempowering behaviors not if, but when they emerge, the family community is alerted to identifying and righting wrong patterns.

   ADD Student Leadership helps bring the disempowering behaviors to consciousness with both parents and teens and provides them with the self-reflection necessary to support one another and realize their greatest potential.

4. There are no quick fixes.

   The ADD Student Leadership program will not immediately create children who are leaders. We are just starting a solution-focused, proactive conversation about the social, emotional, self-esteem, and advocacy issues specific to this disorder. It is the first step in an on-going, life-long process, establishing what is an appropriate conversation among teens and parents and their broader community.