Call Us to Find Treatment
866.323.5611


Bookmark and Share

Sober Alternatives to a Drug-Fueled Spring Break

By Meghan Vivo

As spring approaches, many teenagers are busy making plans for spring break. Many will set out for Florida, Mexico and other exotic locations for a week of parties, underage drinking and drug use. But a week-long drug and alcohol binge isn’t the only option for teens looking to have fun and make memories while school is out.

Most teens who partake in spring break debauchery come home from a partying spree feeling tired, hung over and down on themselves for the poor choices they made. Some may even experience such negative consequences as alcohol poisoning, car accidents, sexual assault, injuries, fights or arrests.

Spring break at a therapeutic boarding school, by contrast, involves activities and adventures designed to build confidence, develop new life skills and create lasting memories. Students have the chance to take a break from school and see the beauty of the world around them.

Having Fun Without Drugs or Alcohol

Oakley School, a therapeutic boarding school for teens ages 14 to 19 in Utah, offers a sober alternative to a drug- and alcohol-fueled spring break, as well as rigorous college-prep academics, intensive therapy, and enriching social and recreational activities year-round. At Oakley School, spring break is a time for teenagers to give back to others and have fun without drugs or alcohol.

During spring break this year, Oakley students will work in conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management to help build and maintain trails in the beautiful red rock parks of Moab, Utah. As part of their four-day expedition, the students will also swim, hike and learn about the stunning desert landscapes.

“The social norm is that spring break is a time to drink, party and get crazy, but we want our students to realize that’s not the best way to have fun,” said Todd Coleman, the director of experiential education at the Oakley School. “Service projects and adventure trips remind our students that there are much healthier ways to spend their free time. They always have a great experience – and they’re sober the whole time.”

Oakley teens participate in community service and chaperoned adventure trips at least seven or eight times a year. In the past, they have worked with the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to care for abandoned animals, the Utah Food Bank to deliver food on Native-American reservations and Design Build Bluff to build houses on a Navajo reservation.

Later this year, some Oakley students will enjoy a four-day cross-country skiing and yoga trip, and another group will go bouldering in central Utah. The teens also have opportunities to take trips that combine outdoor activities and community service, such as a week-long rafting adventure down the San Juan River that accompanies a river clean-up project.

An Opportunity to Give Back
 
“Community service is a big part of everything we do at Oakley,” said Coleman. “Our students not only enjoy it, but there is also a tremendous therapeutic benefit to spending time together as a group, learning new skills and processing the experiences with guidance from a staff of professionals.”

The intensive individual and group therapy that occurs on campus year-round continues when the students are away on a trip. The teens are together 24 hours a day, which quickly brings out issues and negative behaviors that may not surface in other settings for months. When issues arise, a team of therapists, teachers, residential staff and administrators is present to help the students process their emotions and learn communication and problem-solving skills.

Although some projects seem daunting at first, students are able to build on small successes and gain the satisfaction of completing a task, while helping others in the process. The professional instructors who accompany the teens challenge them to continue even when they want to quit. They return to school refreshed, having explored new places and feeling that they did something worthwhile.

“Giving back helps our students understand what other people are going through,” said Coleman. “These experiences build compassion, a sense of gratitude and the chance to discover the rewards of helping someone in need.”

Many students at Oakley School had interests and passions that they gave up in favor of drug or alcohol use or to fit in with a certain peer group. Through volunteering and adventure trips, the teens are able to find healthy outlets to have fun and express their emotions. In fact, students come back to Oakley years later talking about their experiences and the connections they made with students and staff. 

Tips for Parents

Despite media advertisements celebrating the revelry of spring break, a drunk and disorderly vacation with friends is not an inevitable, or even desirable, part of adolescence. There are many sober alternatives to unsupervised spring break parties.

In addition to therapeutic boarding schools and other programs for troubled teens, you may want to consider planning a family trip or community service activity of your own, or get your child involved in a local youth group. Spring break presents a valuable opportunity to talk to your children about the dangers of teen alcohol and drug use, as well as alternative spring breaks that are even more fun and memorable.

Studies show that young people who spend spring break partying with friends are more likely to drink than students who stay home or do a service project. And the younger people are when they first start drinking, the greater the likelihood that they will develop alcoholism in college or adulthood.

Make spring break 2010 one to remember. Get your teenager involved in a local program or therapeutic school that addresses drug and alcohol abuse and introduces teens to sober alternatives like community service projects and outdoor adventure trips.