Academics and Life Skills at PulsaR

 

No matter at what point in life you are, you should always keep learning. Everyone's journey looks different and we aspire to accommodate them all, supporting you as you step into your life.

College Track and Credits

We work with our clients to make sure they are prepared for the independent lifestyle of college and that this is the future they see for themselves. In many of our sessions, we work on and talk over the various obstacles that make college, career, or personal direction difficult. Acknowledging these obstacles and working through them with staff support helps clients remove and properly manage them in the future, which clears the path for each individual to understand what future they want for themselves.

If the plan in life was always to go to college, we offer a college course through the Western CO University. The course is a PSYCH 101 class entitled “Introduction to Wilderness Therapy,” and it is integrated into our academic programming. Clients will have the unique experience of being taught what they are experiencing in real time. This college 3-credit course is transferable to most US based universities, and also allows the clients to use their 529 funding to help pay for the PulsaR programming.

Learn More About the 529 Funding Here

Wilderness Certification

We offer the opportunity for our clients to receive Wilderness First Aid training and certification. This certification is recognized by organizations such as the American Camp Association, OSHA’s Best Practices for Workplace First Aid Training Programs, as well as other state and federal agencies. Clients will be taught survival skills, compass navigation, first aid, and how to make appropriate evacuation decisions. This certification lasts for 2 years and is a helpful resource for a resume or personal recreational time in the wilderness after the program.

Career Assessment

Many young adults don’t know where to start when they are looking to plan their next steps, and that is ok. We provide career testing and transition planning that helps clients better understand their strengths and interests. Clients will take the GS 120 test to help determine careers or other opportunities that may be a good fit for them. Helping clients develop a plan for the future helps give them the confidence and motivation to continue this momentum going forward.

Life Skills Development

 

Life skills are the ability for adaptive and positive behavior that enable a person to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life. [source] The definition of life skills greatly depends on the social norms and community expectations but they are generally skills that function for the well-being and aid of individuals to develop into active and productive members of their communities.
Many young adults who have fallen behind their peers in terms of life skills suffer from mental health issues like depression and anxiety that make it difficult learn the soft skills that are the building blocks to life skills. Most notable is the fundamental skill to learn interpersonal skills, which is something that is emphasized at PulsaR where you learn through daily life with your group of peers

Community service work is intended to help expand our clients’ worldviews and improve interpersonal skills. There is also an important element of personal growth that develops when doing community service work, which involves thinking beyond one’s self and considering the perspectives and worldviews of others.

On a regular basis, we bring our clients to local environmental programs, community service efforts, and agencies that give back to the community. Through activities such as planting trees at local parks, clean-up efforts in the wilderness areas, and jumping in with other important projects that create life-changing experiences,  we facilitate the change in our clients and community that benefit both.

Participating in community service projects also has a great impact on young adults' overall well-being, helping to make them feel that they are making an impact and putting some good into the world. This is especially important since many of our young adult clients have struggled with feelings of ineptitude and inadequacy.

Experiential learning is the process of learning by doing. By engaging students in hands-on experiences and reflection, they are better able to connect theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations. [source]

Young adult clients of blueFire PulsaR encounter numerous opportunities to learn while doing, almost every activity of their day is meant to reflect a teaching moment.

There are many benefits of experiential learning for emerging adults. This type of learning can help students:

  • Develop essential skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and communication
  • Gain practical experience in their field of interest
  • Explore different careers and learn about different industries
  • Earn college credit or certification