by Kristin Kruse
According to wilderness therapy experts, there is something special that happens when you take kids out of their normal environment and immerse them in the wilderness. This is exactly what the non-profit organization, Project ASCENT, believes and facilitates through their summer adventure program.
Targeted towards kids ages 12-15, the organization offers outdoor experiences to Montana youth statewide, and has added the Bitterroot Valley to their calendar of camps.
Andrea Christensen, operations manager and wife of Project ASCENT’s founder and CEO Rob Christensen, explained how their program was created and is growing. She spoke of her husband and the long process it took to grow the organization to where it is today.
“Rob had been developing this for 15 years,” said Andrea. “He has worked in the education system as a PE teacher and school counselor, and has had success creating after school programs and writing grants that provided climbing walls to 12 schools in the Great Falls area. With a double master’s degree in Mental Health, Rob is currently a counselor at the high school in Thompson Falls.”
Through more grant writing and local fundraising efforts, Project ASCENT’s first camp took place in Thompson Falls in 2015, became a non profit in 2018, and has been going strong ever since. The adventure camps are four to five days long and available to coed programs, for both boys and girls. “We like them stinky and sassy,” stated Andrea.
There are currently five unique adventures, including the popular “Pack and Paddle “ adventure, where participants will explore over 30 miles of the Flathead River by kayak, camping along the way. To prepare participants for this adventure, there are instructional sessions in basic kayak skills, including water safety and rescue. Kayakers are also in charge of packing, loading and carrying their own gear each day.
Each adventure has an educational element, with local experts joining the group and teaching them everything, from bear safety, fish identification, and old growth preservation to the rich cultural history of the local tribes. All campers will be taught applicable skills, depending on each camp, including water and rope safety as well as some wilderness first aid.
“The adventures are not over structured, and campers have lots of free time,” said Andrea. “There are 10 kids in each camp, with two full time instructors, which is a great ratio of interaction with adults.” These instructors are extremely well trained, all being certified in WIlderness First Aid (WFA), Swift Water Rescue, survival and much more. These “field instructors” are all adept in youth counseling and management, as well as being passionate about the outdoors.
Through a combination of grants and fundraising, all the equipment required for the adventures is provided by the nonprofit, such as tents, backpacks, sleeping bags and all meals.
“Kids can show up with just their clothes and shoes, we’ve got everything else covered!” said Andrea.
The camps are offered at no cost and are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Project ASCENT opens up applications for all their summer adventures on May 1, and the 10 applicants selected for each camp will be notified by June 1.
Project ASCENT will be participating in the Montana Youth Matters Outdoor Experience, on May 4, at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There, they will be joined by over 40 other outdoor, wildlife and conservation organizations, many of which offer camp programs of their own.
Parties interested in learning more about what Project ASCENT does, getting involved or making a donation to help support their program, can visit them during the experience on May 4, or by visiting Project ASCENT’s website, www.projectascent.org.
They are also hosting their annual Corn Hole Tournament, their biggest fundraiser of the year, in Thompson Falls on Saturday, June 22. The event is open to everyone, with loads of fun, games, silent auction items, food, live music, craft beer and more.
For more information about this event, or to fill out an application for a spot in one of Project ASCENT’s epic adventures, interested persons can visit their website.