Letter from Our Founders

Dear Families,

In the late 1990s, we discovered the personal and professional satisfaction of working with teenagers in an outdoor setting. A few years later, we developed a new approach to wilderness therapy on the Big Island of Hawaii. We had a vision to create a controlled and safe outdoor environment in which to experience, practice and develop new ideas and skills. Today, we have become the most innovative and respected wilderness therapy program in the industry.

We chose a small, rural campus on seven acres and quickly discovered organic farming provided the focus, metaphors and congruency with traditional Hawaiian sustainable agriculture to would provide the foundation for our program. Our base camp or organic garden model allows the students to build a stable foundation and see the growth both around them and within themselves. It provides all our professionals easy access to our students ensuring a physically and emotionally safe experience.

We personally invite you take a virtual tour of our program by exploring our website. We are a small group of dedicated people with a a passion for our work and children’s lives. We have created a unique place that inspires and enables struggling teens and young adults to realize their full potential; a place that offers young people and their families hope, unconditional support, and a chance for a new life.

Aloha,

Mike McKinney
Suzanne McKinney
Chris Kaiser