Program updates

Soltreks is known for its nurturing, compassionate program delivery with attention to detail and focus on family. As the program moves into the 2010 season, it will continue to facilitate the programs most effective to its clients, culture, and mission offering year round customized and individualized One-on-One treks and Family/Specialty treks. Soltreks will accept enrollments for small group treks and Open Enrollment for adolescents, effective February - September to include the respected Summer Program, supporting those students in need of a structured, small group therapeutic experience. Soltreks' accredited curriculum awards 2.5 high school academic credits to graduates.

Celebrating its 13th summer season, the Summer Adventure Program offers experiential and emotional development curriculum, focusing on self-discovery, personal power, and reconnecting family. The curriculum, approved for academic credit upon successful completion of 6 weeks, encompasses backpacking, rock climbing, service learning and canoe expedition in the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Family involvement remains a significant component as Parent Workshops and Sibling Work are blended throughout the program. Single gender groups are limited to 6 students.

Soltreks currently offers effective One-on-One treks to young adults who are struggling with transitions in their lives. Upon completion, they are transitioning to a college setting, young adult transition program, or work/study program while continuing to develop and demonstrate successful independent living skills. The One-on-One trek promotes a powerful instructor-student partnership given the customized and individualized nature of the program, while focusing on the heart of the work. Customized One-on-One treks are offered year round. For admissions call 218.834.4607 or submit an application click here.

Soltreks is currently accepting applicants for a fall 2010 Women's Trek in the Gila National forest in New Mexico. These intimate journeys provide a powerful and empowering experience due to small group ratio and an intimate, supportive setting. Women who are searching for direction during a transition period in their life, desire to take uninterrupted time to focus on themselves, are facing mid-life challenges, and wish to reconnect with their authentic selves are welcome to inquire about the women's treks.

Family Treks

Several family treks were facilitated by directors and instructors this past summer and fall. Ranging from three to seven days, parents and their child learned skills to live comfortably in the wilderness while balancing hiking or canoeing with a customized curriculum to meet their family's therapeutic goals.

Parent feedback included: "The trek went beyond meeting our expectations. You helped our son start dealing directly with who he is and what he can do. The writing and exercises that you had us do really sparked some learning and open expression of our love for each other".

Another parent shared "The trek more than met my expectations. Slowing down, having time for reflection, listening to each other, trying to tune into my physical and emotional condition and my needs several times a day were things that I don't always have/take the time to do and I really started to appreciate the feeling of wholeness I got when I did take the time. I loved the hiking, the full moon, seeing the moose, the aspens, the views of the lake, writing my poems, and all the talking and listening".

If you are interested in a Family Trek or Retreat, call 218.834.4607 or submit an application click here.

Lorri Hanna Appointed to NATWC Board of Directors

Lorri Hanna, MA, CTRS, LPC, Co-Founder, President and Executive Director of Soltreks, Inc., was appointed as a board member for the National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camps in February. She attended an Executive Board Meeting in Alpharetta, GA in March.

Soltreks Represented at 11th Annual Student Outdoor Educators' Conference

Soltreks was honored to be invited to the 11th Student Outdoor Educators' Conference hosted by the University of Minnesota Duluth. Over 150 students from Universities across the Midwest and Canada attended the conference in order to have a variety of opportunities to interact and learn from each other by sharing all aspects of outdoor education and meet professionals in the industry. Soltreks was invited to the professionals banquet and spent the day speaking to students who's interest are in outdoor education, adventure based learning, environmental education and wilderness therapy.

Educational Consultant Visits

Lorri Hanna and Doug Sabo visited several educational consultants in the New York City area in March 2010 followed by an In-Home Family Visit with a family from Long Island.

Soltreks In-Home and Aftercare Program.

Our aftercare program, called "Roots" offers home visits, workshops, retreats, and family treks. For more information on Soltreks Roots, please contact Lorri Hanna, President and Executive Director at 218-834-4607, or by e-mail.

Team Soltreks to run in Grandma's Half Marathon!

Lorri Hanna, Doug Sabo, and Jen Dupuis are currently training for the world class Grandma's half-marathon held along the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota.

Women's Treks

A Women's Trek was facilitated by Lorri Hanna and a senior instructor October 2009 in the beautiful Gila National Forest of New Mexico. This seven day experience allowed women to powerfully reconnect with and celebrate their authentic selves. Women completed journal exercises, participated in powerful experiential activities, challenged themselves physically and emotionally, and experienced the power of the wilderness; while creating and being a part of an emotionally safe group environment.

One woman shared "From my Soltreks experience I had hoped to gain insight into whom I really am and learn skills to help me cope with people and situations that were detrimental to me. The trek went above and beyond meeting my expectations. I learned that I am important and worthwhile. I gained the skills in learning to cope with and allowing my emotions to come up and to begin to work through them."

Another woman shared the following story about her experience:

"When I first learned of the opportunity to do the Women's Trek, I saw it as the answer to my prayers. I was feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the stressful situations in my life, at home, and at work. My life felt chaotic; I was sad, angry, disconnected, moving from reaction to reaction like being tossed about on the waves, becoming fearful that I would just sink under. I felt sure that Lorri's wise approach to working on emotional challenges would help me sort out the various parts of what was going on, and help me see clearly what I might be needing to do and what I might need from others in m life.

At first on the trek, I was content just to focus on the physical experience of hiking and camping. I was hesitant to go too deeply into my feelings because it seemed like such a tangled mess in there. The first thing that helped was looking at my negative self-talk and realizing how much there is and how actively it has been aroused in my present circumstances. But what awoke my emotions most was, after all, doing the artwork. First was the Mandala; showing how much of a barrier I felt between myself and others and between my outward self and my inner feelings. It was a good start just to say how much I didn't want to go there.

Then came the climb to the sacred place at the top of the ridge. A wonderful lesson in finding the way a few steps at a time, seeing how it goes as it unfolds instead of anticipating some catastrophic outcome and becoming too fearful to move. I think that experience will resonate with me for a long time to come; capped by the memory of emerging into that airy, sunny, holy place at the crest, guarded all around by the stunning rock formations. I felt truly blessed and rewarded for my efforts by just being able to exist in that space for a few moments.

Then the artwork brought me to a doorway that gave onto my hidden feelings of frustration, loss, being overwhelmed and feeling pulled in so many directions at once, and emptied out, more and more brittle, with less and less to give to any part of my life. With more work, talking and processing, listening to others and receiving their support, I began to create a vision of how I might work to shape my life into something more whole, more healthy, and most importantly, more sustaining and sustainable.

I felt both strengthened and humbled by this experience. I am hopeful of forming a stronger and more loving relationship with my husband, a closer relationship with my older daughter, and of forming clearer and firmer boundaries in my relationship with my younger daughter. I am hopeful of reawakening the impulse to create images in artwork and to carve out a place in my life where that impulse can flower into a beautiful garden.

I look forward to returning to my family and to my friends who have helped sustain me through these past many years, and who somehow, miraculously, feel the same way about me. That is how it should be.

I'm so grateful to Lorri, Jen, and the other woman on this women's trek for being there with me, making this experience so rich and full of wonder."

New team members

Jen Dupuis and Ian Rosa joined the Soltreks team in November 2009 as Administrative and Clinical Support and Wilderness and Logistical Support. Having both previously worked as Wilderness Instructors for Soltreks and elsewhere, they are passionate about Soltreks' family focus approach as well as the individualized and customized approach that benefits each student. They are looking forward to continue growing professionally and taking on new challenges as well as making the peaceful North Shore of Minnesota their home.

Upcoming

Soltreks will be attending the annual IECA conference held Toronto, Ontario in May 2010.

Soltreks will be conducting its annual 9 day staff training in late May. This year's team will comprise of seasoned knowledgeable instructors, returning staff, clinical therapists, logistics support, Therapeutic Recreation interns from universities across the country, and Soltreks alumni returning to apprentice. We are looking forward to the sharing of knowledge and contributing to our supportive community.

Please keep visiting our website for current and updated Summer Adventure Program dates.