A Quality, Individualized Educational Opportunity

Spring 2008

Northwoods Bonners Ferry, Idaho Campus

A Parent's Perspective of Northwoods
Recently Julie, mother of Northwoods student Connor wrote about her experience with Northwoods;

That morning I first looked at the Northwoods website and three words jumped out at me: "Zest for life."  I couldn't help but reflect that someone had chosen those words and it might say "something" about the people that our son, Connor, would meet at Northwoods.  I had no idea at the time how "dead on" that thought was." Fresh from a top notch wilderness program, Connor came to Northwoods with some apprehension.  Honestly, his first month was pretty rocky.  It took time for him to make friends and for the group to gel.  He tested the rules and got in trouble.  During that time Matt, Dave, the therapist and the staff stayed in fairly close contact with my husband and me.  Any concerns we had were welcome and met with not a bit of defensiveness.  Before long though, Connor was clearly thriving.  He made friends.  He loved the outdoor adventure aspect of the program, cliff jumping, sailing, hiking, biking, and kayaking just to name a few.  He took great pride in showing us the trail the boys had built around the property at the Sagle Farm.  Before long he was eagerly anticipating his time in Costa Rica.

The Costa Rica part of the program is truly extraordinary.  Dave Yeats calls it "enrichment"; I call it transformative.  What Dave and Matt started on a tent platform in the rain forest has grown  to 100 acres adjacent to the Children's Eternal rain forest with two houses including one where families are welcome to stay when they visit.  Toucans fly by and howler monkeys can be heard in the distance.  The vegetation is tropical and lush. 

Connor has thoroughly embraced the culture of Costa Rica.  He lives in a fairly typical Tico home with a warm, caring host family with three other boys of their own.  He attends school during the day at La Casa de Northwoods which is going quite well.  He is learning Spanish at a furious pace and working toward fluency.  The students explore the rain forest nearly everyday with staff guidance and Connor has learned a tremendous amount about the ecosystem of the rain forest.  They work each day on the property.  The week we were there they were clearing rocks from a field to use it as a soccer field.  Somehow Connor has gone from high risk behavior to yoga, soccer, surfing, and weight lifting. 










Connor
"He tells me that when he comes home he will be trying not to eat anything with partially hydrogenated oil.  What was that I had to ask myself!  Most significantly though, he is remarkably comfortable in his own skin, self-confident and very much focused on the future."

"Connor is nearly halfway through his year at Northwoods.  He will attend a local public high school in Northern Idaho upon his return from Costa Rica.  I expect it will be far less exotic than Costa Rica rain forest but that real world, re-entry aspect of the program appealed to us.  He is looking forward to snowboarding on Schweitzer Mountain and plans to play baseball this Spring, an opportunity he thought he had blown.  He hopes to return home for his senior year of high school."

"In closing we can not know what the future holds for Connor but we have great hope.  During a time of raw heartache we put allot of faith in people we didn't even know but struck us as sincere.  We trusted in a small school with big visions and tons of experience.  We are not wealthy but we have chosen to spend our money on what we most value, Connor.  At this point, it is hard to imagine that we will ever regret this remarkable year at Northwoods.  It will always be apart of who Connor is.  It will be apart of all of us."

"I call that, A ZEST FOR LIFE!"
Julie - Connor's mother

Educational consultants tour Northwoods


Kim Rubin, M.A. on a canopy tour in Costa Rica

"This is truly "Pura Vida!"  It just doesn't get any better even in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Northwoods offers kids the best possible chance to make changes.  They are great role models, have great host families, perfect environment most of all Mac, Hugo, and Freddy.  Everything was perfect. Miracles happen here!"
Kim Rubin, M.A. 


Paula G. Feldman, M.S. and Kay Davison toured Northwoods in March. Paula corresponded after her trip and this is what she had to say;

Dear Matt and Dave,
My visit to Northwoods was tremendous!  I couldn't be more excited with Northwoods and I am completely relaxed referring to you.  At the Bonners Ferry site your public school feels as exciting as a private school.  We must have met the best of teachers because we were impressed with the care for their students and enthusiasm for their courses.  Wow.  Then there is Patrick (Northwoods employee) what a marvelous role model for your young men.  Thank you for a terrific day!
Warm regards,
Paula

Adventures at Northwoods


Northwoods staff and students having 
fun at a waterfall 

Students at wood class making signs for 
the locals and the Northwoods farm in Costa Rica 

Caldwell and Zach proudly displaying 
the road signs made in wood class


Students amazed by a magic show


Staff and students enjoy a hike


Nothwoods student Kyle on the deck 
of the lodge in Costa Rica playing his guitar


Northwoods staff and students before a 
soccer game in La Tigra, Costa Rica

For admissions information contact:
(208)659-3455 Matt Fitzgerald
matt@northwoodsidaho.com