| > | | | | Planted fields are irrigated with the sprinklers. Every |
| | | | twelve hours or so on average, the youth have to |
| The therapeutic boarding school for troubled teens | | | | move sprinklers for crops of oat hay or barley. For |
| offers an effective healing program where youngsters | | | | fields with alfalfa or alfalfa-grass mixes for horses, the |
| living in a picturesque spot at a teen ranch are involved | | | | sprinklers are moved once a day. During strenuous |
| in farming; learn to care for animals, planting crops, | | | | activity the pituitary gland produces endorphins in the |
| camping, hiking, and fishing. Sorensons Ranch can help | | | | human body. These are akin to natural pain relievers |
| place your troubled teen back on track to a happy | | | | and give us a sense of well-being. Engaging the |
| successful life and correct many of the problems | | | | youngsters in a variety of ranch-style activities makes |
| facing adolescent youth today. The fabulous concept | | | | good use of these healing effects in our students' lives. |
| of using the incorporation of animals into the program | | | | Whether it is just riding a horse through one of our |
| for troubled teens has turned Sorenson's Ranch | | | | glorious mountain valleys or hay-making in the sun, it is |
| School into a very effective therapeutic boarding | | | | just pure pleasure to be so occupied. Often young |
| school. The abiding principle of adolescent treatment is | | | | people initially are unwilling or completely against |
| reducing their life to the simple basics. Youth ranch life | | | | participating in many activities that we offer in our |
| encourages students to return to a time of tending to | | | | program. It occasionally springs from teenage rebellion |
| their chores, and taking responsibility for the work | | | | but more often it comes from their fear of the |
| involved in looking after the animals. Moreover, in | | | | unknown. For many just to stand by a horse, ready to |
| working on the farm, taking care of the stock, and | | | | throw a saddle on it, may be quite an accomplishment |
| growing crops, students acquire unconditional love of | | | | on its own. Often our students earn a great deal of |
| our animals and a non-judgmental companionship that | | | | encouragement watching their peers succeed in |
| is of enormous value in addressing youth reactive | | | | performing tasks that appeared impossible or were |
| attachment disorder. Our 4-H program is individually | | | | considered foolish. As soon our students become |
| designed to educate students to care, groom and | | | | aware of their surroundings they get knowledge and |
| show at the local county fairs. The main stock that our | | | | practical experience of most of the ranch work, which |
| students learn to care for and show are animals that | | | | has to be done. In addition to participating in this special |
| you may find on any farm 50 years ago with one or | | | | teens program and working hard physically, our |
| two exotic additions. Horses, sheep, pigs and cattle are | | | | students still have plenty of time to enjoy all the fun of |
| utilized in a multipurpose program that has been an | | | | staying in such beautiful natural countryside. Such is not |
| effective remedy in helping troubled teens build dignity, | | | | their experience in town. The favorite pastimes in teen |
| confidence and individual responsibility. A simpler life is | | | | boot camps are occasions when youngsters learn to |
| said to soothe the soul. So our youth have plenty of | | | | make their own meals over an open fire, survive |
| things to do, such as shoveling manure, feeding horses, | | | | sleeping in tents and engage in making new friends |
| herding cattle, giving assistance to the animals as they | | | | and opening up heart to heart with each other in a |
| give birth, fixing fences, watering, grooming, breaking | | | | way that so naturally occurs when sat by the fire in |
| horses, growing crops, harvesting hay, and so forth. All | | | | romantic surroundings. They also can participate in |
| these activities form the essentials of preparation and | | | | everyday sports that are part of a program, such as |
| diligence that is needful for successful and healthy | | | | fishing, hiking, water-skiing, horseback riding, to name a |
| animal husbandry. Sorenson's Ranch School is situated | | | | few. The Sorenson's Ranch School ethos has been |
| in a picturesque and dramatic spot, which further | | | | proven to be highly effective - over the years many |
| inspires the children. In the background of this arid | | | | of our past troubled teens have returned to visit the |
| region, there are high mountains elevated on each side | | | | ranch. They fondly remember their happy experience |
| of the valley, where the moisture accumulates in the | | | | on camp as it formed a positive foundation that helps |
| form of snow pack most of the winter. This in turn | | | | them to face with confidence any difficult situations in |
| feeds into the Koosharem Reservoir thus storing a | | | | their adult life. Abraham Maslow calls these kinds of |
| water supply for the irrigation of the crops here at the | | | | involvement "peak experiences." He says that they |
| youth ranch. Water arrives by canal down to our farm, | | | | lead to self-realization, and this is key in enabling |
| and then is diverted into our sprinkling system. To | | | | someone to change their life for the better. He explains |
| prepare the fields for planting our young people help to | | | | that these defining moments help to shape us in such |
| remove from the freshly tilled portions the innumerable | | | | a way that we can look back on an event with |
| rocks, which show up with each successive ploughing | | | | appreciation. His ideas have been shown to work and |
| of the fields. Our teens remove rocks by hand or in a | | | | thus many of his teachings are incorporated into our |
| wheelbarrow and transfer them out into lower fields. | | | | teen programs. |