Positive Parenting Prevents Drug Abuse

The Benefits of Positive Parenting

The University of Oregon through extensive research determined five key elements in preventing and minimizing the progression of drug abuse.  These include the following:
1.  Good communication
2.  Encouraging positive behavior on a regular basis
3.  Effectively negotiate through problems with your teen
4.  Being able to set limits with your teen
5.  Monitoring how much time your teen spends with peers

To read more about this project and view the benefits of positive parenting with tutorial videos please follow this Family Checkup Link.



Turning Winds Academic Institute utilizes therapists with extensive experience in teaching drug education awareness; role playing to effectively navigate around peer pressure; a strong addiction recovery group; increased family awareness and support; and individualized sessions in order to provide the necessary treatment, support, tools and confidence to effectively overcome the battles of addiction.  If someone you know could benefit from our services, please refer them to our highly effective, therapeutic boarding school at:  800-845-1380.  Together we can make a difference!

Percent of TWAI Students Ready for College-Level Coursework

Academic Excellence

Turning Winds Academic Institute places a great emphasis on academic performance.  With small classrooms and a teacher to student ratio of 1:10, our school is effective in providing an excellent service to our clients which ultimately increases academic performance.

ACT Research Services recently released longitudinal data about how Turning Winds Students perform on the ACT.  Over the past five years, Turning Winds Academic Institute students have consistently performed higher on ACT scores than students across Montana.  AND ... Montana students consistently perform higher than students nation-wide. We are proud of our students' high performance!

A Therapeutic Experience

Turning Winds Academic Institute facilitated another “life changing,” outdoor expedition in August to Seven Devils which is near Riggins, Idaho.  The emotional growth that takes place on these trips is beyond my writing skills to adequately describe in “wholeness” the miracles; the growth; and triumph that is captured in these outdoor experiences.
 

Seven Devils is an amazing environment which consists of terrain that explodes with breathtaking views; consists of serene lakes that are hidden amongst the staggering peaks and is riddled with evidence of recent fires that have left many areas scarred and barren.   The hike sets out at an elevation of over 7000 feet.  This environment demands the best effort of anyone hiking along it trails with descents and ascents commonly exceeding 1000 feet.  The lakes are pristine and are a great reward after a good day of backpacking on the trail.   Each day had its challenges; however, the group of girls proved their perseverance was greater than even they could have imagined at first.

The trip included the following destination points:  Shelf Lake (8 miles from trailhead); Dry Diggins Lookout ( 6 miles) back to the trailhead ( 8 miles) and rafting on the salmon river (all day).  It was an amazing feat for the girls!  Many of the girls were caught saying, “this is the best thing that has happened since being at Turning Winds” or “I would not have missed this for anything.” 

The last day of the trip was spent relaxing and playing on the Salmon River as they floated on rafts all day long.  The river guide made it interesting with his good sense of humor; the food was great and the experience of rafting through Class II-IV rapids was exhilarating.  During the portions of the river that were slow moving, the girls had fun swimming and just relaxing in the sun.

The girls were able to learn more about themselves throughout this remarkable journey as thought provoking assignments were completed and group discussions were had each day.  They also gained a greater understanding and appreciation for others' in their group as they were able to work on being supportive, motivating, understanding, patient and assisting with making good decisions based on the needs of each individual.  It was truly a profound experience for all of the girls who attended this trip.  We are so proud of their hard work, effort, perseverance and triumph!

An Outdoor Experience to Remember

Families that Play Together Stay Together

TWAI Group at The Hiawatha Trail

TWAI Students on Trestle

This week a group of our students and Directors embarked upon a sensational journey as they traveled south toward the Idaho/Montana border to mountain bike, the Route of the Hiawatha Trail.  The Hiawatha is a gentle sloping ride with a 2% grade as it was home to the Milwaukee Railroad and was referred to at one time as, “the most scenic stretches of railroad in the country.”  The Hiawatha route is a fifteen mile trail that starts out with the Cavernous, Taft Tunnel which is over 1.6 miles in length.  Without the aid of a headlamp, passage through the tunnel would be like riding your bike on a dirt road blind-folded.  It is truly a unique outdoor experience to travel through the eleven tunnels, and cross over the nine high trestles as it meanders through the mountainous terrain following the Loop Creek drainage.


Taft Tunnel

The boys and girls had an adventurous and fun day mountain biking the Hiawatha Trail.  Many were amazed at how scenic the ride was and mentioned how they had planned on redoing this very trip with their own families.  After a fun day of biking, the students stopped at Qdoba to eat dinner in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho before returning to Turning Winds Academic Institute. 



The old saying of, “Families that play together, stay together,” certainly holds a lot of merit.  This is undoubtedly the case at our therapeutic boarding school.  Having fun together develops a greater sense of togetherness, support, a greater belonging to community, facilitates healing and opens the channel of communication.  For more information about enrollment into our highly effective, therapeutic school call us today at:  800-845-1380. 


TWAI Students at Qdoba



A Walk Through Nature

A Treatment Approach that is Inspiring and Empowering

Fundamental to realizing our school's mission, is the instruction of outdoor education or experiential learning.  Experiential learning through outdoor recreation is highly effective in assisting children, teens and adults to develop a greater sense of self; acquire leadership experience; enhance social development and teamwork skills; increase confidence and self worth; develop greater critical thinking and problem solving skills; and creating an affinity for health and wellness.  Youth who attend our therapeutic school consistently demonstrate a higher level of maturity that is not seen in most other teenagers. 

Turning Winds Academic Institute is located in perhaps one of the most pristine and serene environments that exist amongst therapeutic boarding schools.  We value the environment in which we reside in and are in awe at the vistas seen from mountain tops; the network of hiking trails; the multitude of alpine lakes, rivers and streams and the great variety of wildlife that we co-exist with. 

Common outdoor activities for our students include:  hiking, mountain biking, backpacking and various water activities.  A favorite hiking destination for our student's is Fish Lakes.  Yesterday a group of youth hiked into Fish Lakes which gently meander's along a mountain-side which includes scenery of old growth trees, thimbleberry bushes, rock slides, creek crossings, a series of beaver ponds and a beautiful waterfall.  The roundtrip hike is about 8 miles in duration and would be rated easy to moderate.

As we hiked along the trail, it was inspiring to listen to various conversations within the group detailing personal experiences of prior challenges and triumph which has resulted since arriving at TWAI.  One girl noted, "I am truly grateful for this privilege... most kids will never have this opportunity."  The same girl went on to describe the college ambitions she has for when she graduates from our school.  Others talked about the good times in their lives and a common ring heard from a number of girls was how they had grown to love and appreciate their families.  Girls were making bets on whose brother will call and talk with them first.  It was truly a blessing to experience such insight into the lives of the youth who were along for this hike. 

Once we arrived at Fish Lakes, we had dinner which consisted of hoagie sandwiches, all natural Capri Sun's, SunChips and fruit snacks.  We also attempted to catch some of the fish which were jumping in the lake all around us, but they would not bite on the spinners which we had.  Without any prompting, one of the girls volunteered to carry the group backpack all the way back to the trailhead.  It is truly amazing to witness so many acts of responsibility, maturity and service from students as they participate in our outdoor activities.  We arrived back at the trailhead before nightfall.  The student's expressed gratitude for the time which was taken to sponsor such a wonderful activity and we departed to the school with a group looking forward to a good night's rest. 

A Refreshing Experience

A Cool, Refreshing Break!

Turning Winds Academic Institute is a therapeutic school that provides many opportunities for students to engage in meaningful experiences.  One element used to measure the health of a therapeutic boarding school is the type and frequency of activities offered.  At TWAI we are able to provide a plethora of activities that consist of the following:  sports, fitness, indoor/outdoor recreation and therapeutic recreation.
















Staff from Turning Winds Academic Institute took a group of teenage boys to go swimming in the beautiful elements of Northwestern Montana.  We went to the upper falls of The West Fork Yaak River.  It sits in a small, canyon with the waterfall splitting off into two different directions; creating an amazing landscape.  There the boys enjoyed swimming into the deep pool of water; jumping off some of the nearby ridges and rock outcrops; and just relaxing in the sun!
















If you, or someone you know, could use our exceptional services, please contact us at:  800-845-1380.

A Blast From the Past

Lost in the 50's Vintage Car Parade

Students from Turning Winds Academic Institute had a great time attending the Lost in the 50's Car Parade in Sandpoint, Idaho.  There they were able to truly experience "a blast from the past," as they were able to watch with hundreds of other onlookers the classic cars stroll down main street in Sandpoint, Idaho.  The kids enjoyed looking at all of the "hot rod" type of cars and hear the engines roar as the vehicles rolled by.  Afterwards the kids stopped and had pizza along with ice cream. 

For more information on our school, please visit our website, Turning Winds Academic Institute or give us a call at:  800-845-1380.  We are a premier, therapeutic boarding school that continues to set the standard for treatment.