Camp Victory Wilderness Challenge

Activities

CAMP DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION & PURPOSE

Camp Victory Wilderness Challenge (CVWC) is a short-term, intense, rehabilitative program for boys 7-17 which is designed to help strong-willed boys overcome learning difficulties and behavioral habits that contribute to a path of self-destruction. Conducted during the summer months, it will teach boys how to respect authority and trust others while building on their own personal strengths. Each boy will have the opportunity to:

	Work cooperatively in a small group;
	Use higher-level thinking skills to solve real-life problems;
	Receive individualized instruction and counseling services.

CVWC is a wilderness style survival camp that brings young men back to the basics and teaches them the importance of teamwork. Thus, it is operated in a wilderness setting with minimal conveniences, which serves to maximize opportunities to search one’s heart and learn purpose for life. Campers are challenged to build their own shelters, prepare their own food, and participate in physical and mental competitions.

CVWC’s goal is to help youth recognize their poor decision-making skills, learn how to eradicate those detrimental habits, and begin to build a positive foundation on which to base positive decision-making skills. It does so by helping young men recognize the error and danger of their negative decisions and behaviors, and identifying how those actions hurt themselves, their families, and the community in which they live.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of CVWC are as follows:

	To assist parent(s) with the behavior modification of the youth;
	To improve the positive family dynamics;
	To enable youth to recognize negative decision-making skills;
	To enable youth to build a solid foundation on which to base decision-making skills;
	To bring to youth a greater awareness of God’s creation, thus increasing their appreciation for it;
	To teach youth wilderness skills.

The objectives for each youth are as follows:

	To improve his decision-making skills;
	To identify negative habits and list ways to develop positive habits;
	To improve peer relationships by identifying negative peer characteristics and listing positive character traits that would be found in a positively-influencing peer.
	To learn wilderness skills and be able to demonstrate proficiency in each skill;
	To learn study skills, improving his academic ability.

CAMP COMPONENTS

The following components will be taught during CAMP.

Wilderness Skills

Food Procurement & Preparation

Teaches sources of food in the wilderness and how to prepare food in a primitive setting.

Water Procurement

Teaches how to procure and sanitize water for sanitary utilization.

Shelters

Teaches how to identify a good shelter site and how to construct various types of shelters.

Firecraft

Teaches how to determine a proper site for a fire and how to construct the fire for various uses.

Personal & Field Hygiene

Emphasizes importance of personal hygiene particularly in a field environment, specifying ways to prevent diseases and infections. Discusses prevention of disease and medical problems; teaches treatment for bites, stings, and wounds.

Pioneering

Explains the various uses of lashings to build structures and furniture. Requires that youth use pioneering skills to build such amenities.

Land Navigation

Acquaints youth with methods to navigate by dead reckoning, terrain feature association, and field-expedient methods.

Animal Awareness

Teaches habits of native animals and identifies characteristics and habits of dangerous animals. Explains importance of appreciating animals without disturbing them or their habitat.

Plant Awareness

Identifies characteristics of plants, including how to differentiate poisonous plants from non-poisonous. Explains importance of appreciating plants without disturbing them or their habitat.

Individual Counseling

Provides opportunity for youth to discuss behavioral issues, past reasons for engaging in negative decisions, and helps to provide positive alternatives. Seeks to establish short- and long-term goals for youth, which is shared with the family.

Academic Skills

Emphasizes importance of diligently pursuing academic success; teaches study skills to utilize to improve academic potential. Many academic skills are taught and further developed through the teaching of Wilderness Skills and through the youth’s journaling.

Science

Campers learn about plants, flowers, trees, astronomy, and animals through everyday Wilderness Skills. Some areas are emphasized, such as Plants & Animals, while others are inherent, such as the teaching of astronomy when constellations and stars are used in Land Navigation.

Writing

Campers learn writing skills through their journaling experience. Each camper is additionally required to write some poetry and a short story.

Mathematical

Math skills are inherently taught during Land Navigation as various figuring and calculations are involved in azimuths, offsetting, and bypassing obstacles. When campers are not familiar with the basic mathematical functions, instructors will work individually with each youth so that each youth may successfully navigate using those math skills.

Spiritual Emphasis

Presents truths found in God’s Word, the Bible, and relates those truths and principles to everyday life. Teaches methods for practical application of moral guidelines into daily decisions.

CAMPERS (YOUTH)

CVWC accepts boys ages 7-17 who currently exhibit behavioral problems at school or at home. These behavioral problems may also include social or emotional issues. Because of its short duration, boys are not accepted who have current problems with the law; past unlawful activities will not prohibit a boy’s entry into the program, but will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the administration. The following is a list of common characteristics of the type of boy who would benefit from this program:

	Strong-willed and disrespectful;
	Not achieving academically to his full potential;
	Uncooperative with parents and/or teachers;
	Needs self-motivation and discipline;
	Lacks self-respect and social skills;
	Needs a closer relationship with Parents.

Parents who desire for their son to attend CVWC must complete the application process, and will be notified of their son’s acceptance or rejection.

Cost of Enrollment

Camp Victory Wilderness Challenge consists of one session lasting 3 weeks. The cost for one session (3 week period) is $1,000.00 - $1,300.00 (early enrollment) per boy enrolled. If a family cannot afford this full amount, we encouraged them to find sponsors that will assist financially. We also welcome all businesses, churches, and individuals to help sponsor this camp to lower the cost to parents.

STAFFING

CVWC employs adults who desire to be a part of this life-changing ministry; its’ staff are known as Instructors. Older teens who desire to be youth leaders are known as Cadet Instructors, and are utilized in assisting Instructors in teaching classes and monitoring the camp and campers. These Instructors and Cadet Instructors are chosen for their character values of integrity, respect, and honor, and for their desire to help boys learn to make right decisions.

Instructors

Instructors are responsible for supervising each daily activity and ensuring the safety of each Cadet Instructor and camper throughout the duration of the camp. They must also give and supervise consequences for negative behaviors, keeping in mind that the purpose of CVWC is to change youth’s lives, not just to provide a fun recreational time.

Cadet Instructors

Cadet Instructors are young men, who are currently at Southeastern Military Academy, or who have successfully graduated from the school, who desire to be in a position of youth leadership assisting Instructors in the daily operations of the camp. They do not have a supervisory role by themselves, but may teach specific classes, assist Instructors in teaching classes, and help campers in daily activities. They are to be positive role models at all times.

LOCATION

CVWC is located in South Florida and utilizes many Wildlife Management Areas and National Forests for the accomplishment of the program goals. It has as it’s Home Base Southeastern Military Academy’s Forward Operating Base in Central Florida.

DESIRED RESULTS OF PROGRAM

Southeastern Military Academy celebrates a success rate of having over 96% of our boys successfully graduating from school and going into the military or on to college. Our short-term program utilizes the same tough love and consequential behavior modification approach. CVWC enables boys with strong--willed personalities the opportunity to change self-destructive behaviors before they need to be sent to a long-term residential treatment facility.

HEALTH & SAFETY

At CVWC, the overriding primary concern is the health and safety of each youth. Therefore, each youth is checked each day for any bites, stings, rashes, cuts, or other safety concerns for any occurrence that may require medical attention. Instructors are trained in CPR and First Aid.

COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS

Even though the boys are in the wilderness in primitive surroundings, they are encouraged to write letters to their parents, and may receive mail as well. Phone calls are not available during the camp due to primitive surroundings and the short duration of the camp.