Virginia Oliver (right) greets Jerrie Dee Harvey (left) and all of the guides for Alaska Crossings, as part of a welcoming ceremony that took place on Shakes Island on Sunday.
As part of a welcoming ceremony that took place Sunday, Alaska Crossings guides carried a canoe onto Shakes Island. There, the guides were introduced to leading members of the native community and asked their permission to use the land for their work.
Alaska Crossings, the behavioral health program, is gearing up for another season of helping kids in need. The program is geared towards teenagers who have struggles in their home life, or at school or in their wider communities. These kids go out on outdoor expeditions with Crossings guides, all over the Tongass National Forest, where they can learn important life skills like teamwork, self confidence, and stress management, among others.
"Alaska Crossings believes in helping youth make better, more disciplined, daily behavioral choices,'' the Alaska Crossings website reads. "Our programs help them identify, address and resolve some of the underlying psychological or emotional challenges that may have contributed to poor decision-making and their current struggles.''
Program Manager Jerrie Dee Harvey said that they have about 57 guides in their program this year, who have come from all over the world. They will be spending most of March training for their expeditions, she said. This includes skills like how to paddle a canoe, clinical training, and conflict management. They will be going out on a training expedition from March 12 to 18, she said, and the kids will start arriving near the end of the month. On average, they take between 120 to 125 kids out on expeditions each year.
"It's always a huge opportunity to be reminded that we are so fortunate to have a community that supports us, because we couldn't do it without them,'' Harvey said. "We're grateful for just the hospitality. I don't think half of our employees had any idea the amount of amazing people in this town.''
More information about the Alaska Crossings program can be found online at http://www.alaskacrossings.org, or by calling (907) 874-2371.
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