For the past 20 years, Tom and Debra Weistar have led experiential education programs – including ropes course training, wilderness trips, leadership workshops, and media making ventures – all geared toward energizing and inspiring the youth that they involve. The synergistic effect of these separate experiences has led to the ultimate founding of the Finding the Good traveling semester program. As such, Finding the Good represents the best aspects of those distinct educational experiences, all pulled together in one comprehensive, semester-long learning opportunity of a lifetime.

Finding the Good is not simply a ‘good idea’ – it is a carefully studied response to the needs of teenagers, and the growing body of evidence that those needs are being met less and less by conventional education. It is also the natural extension of years of study and practice with teens in wilderness and social environments, where youth leadership, activism and self-governance are key components.

We have worked with many students who consistently recount their feelings of concern for their future, confusion as to how to succeed (as well as what it even means to succeed), and general despondence regarding the state of the natural environment. We have heard from numerous parents who worry about the amount of time their children spend with electronic technology, the socialization that they receive from peers and media sources, and their overall preparedness for college and life beyond school. The Finding the Good semester program seeks to be a step toward addressing these common concerns, leading students to discover real value and positivism in themselves and their world.

➜ Admissions

➜ Sustainability

Learning is Living,

Living is Learning.

At Finding the Good, we believe that every moment in life is a potential moment to learn. As such, learning and education are lifelong processes that feed and nourish the soul.

By teaching our students to see the many amazing and often exciting learning opportunities before them every day, we prepare them for the challenges of college and becoming healthy, independent, and contributing members of society. We have a hard time imagining a more interesting, fulfilling, or fun job than this!

1. ✦Making it relevant. We bring the traditional academic skills that teenagers have spent years acquiring into real world situations that require their use in solving current problems.
   

2. ✦Learning by doing. Students with Finding the Good work in the field alongside knowledgeable professionals. Our studies are hands-on and application-based.
   

3. ✦Getting outside. What better way to develop a true appreciation for the natural environment than by living, working, studying, and playing in it? Understanding sustainability necessitates a working relationship with both natural and human systems. It’s good exercise, too!
   

4. ✦Learning to lead. Whether through ropes course facilitation, staffing wilderness excursions for younger children, running sustainability workshops, or presenting research in a public forum, Finding the Good develops passionate, responsible, and engaged youth leaders.
   

5. ✦ Finding (and sharing) the good. Everyone knows all about the endless bad news regarding our future on this planet. At Finding the Good, we seek out working examples of sustainable living that cast our educational experience in a positive light. Students empower themselves to inspire and create tangible, positive changes within their communities.

Here’s What We Are Doing:

FAQ    |    Site Map    |    Contact Us            Synergia Learning Ventures 2009