Enhancement Services: P.A.C.E.

The Program of Adventure-Based Counseling Experiences, or P.A.C.E., is an innovative adventure-based counseling program. Through the use of experiential education, the P.A.C.E. experience can play an important role in full human development. As an avenue for personal, social and developmental satisfaction, P.A.C.E. enhances a persons “resiliency” in coping with peer pressure, managing conflict and gaining confidence. Utilizing a group model, individual skills and structured activities, P.A.C.E. promotes a healthy lifestyle, prevention of risk behaviors, community involvement, self awareness, decision making, and the life long learning process.

An atmosphere that is fun, supportive and challenging characterizes our Adventure-Based Program. This atmosphere encourages individuals to reach beyond perceived boundaries, set and reach higher goals, improve confidence and self-esteem, and develop strategies that enhance decision-making. Students learn the power of group cooperation and the ability to see individual strengths and weaknesses, while learning to respect differences within the group.

P.A.C.E., utilizing an outdoor ropes course, games, group problem-solving initiatives and trust activities, has its foundations established on two main concepts:

Full Value Contract

Students agree to the following:

Not to physically endanger self or others in the group
To participate to the best of one's ability
To give and receive honest feedback
To "let go" of negative thoughts and feelings and be willing to "move on"

Challenge by Choice

The level of participation and challenge is up to each individual, stressing the concept that individuals are responsible for themselves and their actions.

The Vanguard P.A.C.E. program works in conjunction with the teachers, counselors, specialists and all other related personnel. P.A.C.E. is structured to develop a sense of competence, self-confidence and improved self-esteem, responsibility and decision-making qualities. The students use skills relating to communication, cooperation and trust to meet the concepts of challenge and adventure. In order to motivate and stimulate oneself in a team building effort, students recognize an awareness for safety, ways of coping with stressful situations, the ability to work effectively in a group, respect for and an enjoyment of being with others, respect for the level of participation and limits of others, and responsibility for one's own actions.