WOLF CONNECTION’S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS
At Wolf Connection, we empower youth to become authentic leaders and contributing community members. We accomplish this through facilitating experiential relationships with rescued wolves and the natural environment. These deeply intuitive animals inspire young people to be fully present in their bodies, release ideas and behaviors that no longer serve, and understand their unique role in a human “pack” or community. The wolves help youth focus on their impulses, feelings, and behaviors in a constructive way; they learn to forgive and give others (and themselves) a second chance.
Why Wolves? … Like the teens we work with, wolves are misunderstood. Yet science tells us the wolf is the first animal we ever associated with more than 40,000 years ago. Early humans adopted our family and social structure, survival and hunting techniques from wolves. Researchers believe we have a memory of this bond in our DNA, so teens and wolves naturally connect at a deep, primal level, carrying great therapeutic value.
Founded in 2009, what started as in-school presentations and brief visits to the sanctuary have evolved into a multi-disciplined program with one-day field trips and our signature 8-week Experiential Education, Youth Empowerment, and Diversion Program.
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS OVERVIEW
Wolf Connection’s signature programs engage participants to grow, thrive, and become contributing community members. Grounded in principles of empowerment and resilience, the programs teach at-risk youth to face their fears, embrace their unique strengths, and own their inherent worth. Participants learn the importance of working as a team or “pack”, and practice sensitivity to the unique gifts, experiences, and emotions of others.
During the program students will develop:
- Self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-acceptance;
- Skills for working through challenges and taking responsibility for their future;
- Connection with nature and animals, leading to compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance
- Pro-social behavior with a sense of belonging to a community, a “pack” of their own; and
- A sense of curiosity around their purpose and hope for their future.
What students have said about their experience in the program:
“Wolf Connection has given me hope, and the tools and desire to try and make my life better despite my past. If the wolf-dogs are able to move forward so am I. I feel happy with who I am now.”
“[The program] has showed me how to trust myself and believe that I can make a difference in the world.” “The activity of letting go of what I needed to let go helped me move on from the past.”
“I like the project because it helps look back on all your obstacles and see how far you came.”
“Everyone at Wolf Connection has helped me find my voice.”
Experiential Education units delivered throughout the Program:
- Wolf Principles: Simple lessons from wolf to human eliciting character traits such as: self-empowerment, leadership, team collaboration, self-care, and social and environmental awareness.
- Witnessing the pack dynamics among wolves and applying what they learn to their own human behaviors and understanding of how they affect and are affected by others.
- Exploring the different roles in the wolf pack: Alpha, Beta, Nanny, Hunter, Tracker, Omega, and how these complex social dynamics apply to human interactions. As a result, students discover their natural tendencies and how to leverage them, as well as understanding, accepting, and integrating other people’s personalities and tendencies.
- Experiencing how one can transform and grow through self-awareness and self-acceptance.
What students say about the Wolf Principles they learn:
“The [Wolf Principles], I think we’re gonna do it unconsciously. It’s just gonna be something we do in our everyday life.”
“I think Wolf Connection actually helped us with [the ‘Wolves are okay with who they are’ principle], because, I think, some of us weren’t really sure who we were.”
For more detailed information on our programs, included the weekly outline, download our PDF HERE.