Residential Life
At Discovery Ranch for Boys, your son will be immersed in the ranch experience. He will start each day by setting meaningful, attainable goals before setting out to begin daily chores. As Discovery Ranch is a working ranch, our students take part in the day-to-day workings of ranch life. Chores and assignments include preparing and cleaning up breakfast, laundry, and house cleaning. Horses get fed each morning, and the calves are fed each morning and night. Homework is also completed on a daily basis. As students progress in the program, they are able to enjoy off-campus activities such as skiing, trail riding, hiking, fishing, canoeing, and going to the movies. By placing these types of chores on your teen, it teaches them the value of hard work and helps them to take responsibility for themselves and those around them.
Daily life at the ranch is designed to enhance the therapy experience. Our therapists’ offices are located in the residential areas to foster a sense of open communication between participants and their therapists. All of our staff work hand in hand with each other to ensure that every aspect of the therapy plan is working together to the benefit of your son.
Our goal at Discovery Ranch for Boys is to give your son the tools to succeed beyond the sphere of treatment. Our residential life is organized to emphasize the building of relationships. When your son is placed in a setting with those he might not immediately connect to, he learns the value of building those strong relationships, and he develops the tools to create lasting relationships in everyday life outside of the ranch.
Physical Health
As a student of Discovery Ranch for Boys, your son is awarded the highest care and attention to detail for his health and well-being. Taking part in the daily chores and goings-on of the ranch, your son will develop physically. He will have opportunities to take part in weight training and cardio workouts. He will have access to our fitness facility, where he may enjoy basketball or even re-discover such games as tetherball or jump rope.
Recreational Activities
Recreation is a major component of Discovery Ranch, allowing our participants to take part in physically strenuous activities that prove to build more than just muscle. Confidence comes from understanding what their bodies are capable of. Teenagers struggle with self-confidence more than any other age group, making this a crucial time to develop the proper tools to combat self-doubt. Discovery Ranch uses a combination of traditional therapy, hard work through chores, and experiential therapy to build that confidence. Our recreational activities allow our boys to have the chance to relax and be a kid again. Some of the activities our participants look forward to are mountain biking, skiing/snowboarding, paintballing, playing the guitar, training for a 5K run, canoeing, and hiking. Discovery Ranch for Boys also puts on an annual Ranch Rodeo and a Cub Classic Frisbee golf tournament.
When your son reaches the appropriate level of treatment, he has the opportunity to train for and participate in an area 5k race. These races are a great way to teach goal setting and achieving, while also improving the physical health of your teen. As an added bonus, these 5ks benefit and promote various charitable organizations.
Dietary Needs
As part of an active lifestyle, Discovery Ranch for Boys ensures that your son is receiving the proper dietary needs. A dietician closely monitors the diets of each student, making sure they are receiving the proper amount of nutrition for their changing lifestyle. Your son will have a personalized diet designed to meet his specific needs. Lunch and dinner include a salad bar, and fresh fruit is always available for snacks.
Medication Needs
Our clinical staff also evaluates and ensures the proper administration of each boy’s medications, making your son’s overall health a main priority. They will make certain that he is on the lowest possible dose of his medication. Some of our students are able to stop taking medications completely. By monitoring and potentially reducing our participant’s medication, improvements in their physical and mental health are possible and expected.
Healthy Improvement
The main goal of Discovery Ranch for Boys is the care and improvement of your son’s health, both mentally and physically. We ensure that every aspect of his care is monitored and that he is progressing on the proper path to recovery. Our graduates leave Discovery Ranch with a renewed sense of self-confidence and a healthy outlook on life. As a parent, you can be confident in our approach to better the life of your son.
Community Service
Discovery Ranch for Boys believes that community service can enhance the therapy experience by creating a unique opportunity for personal satisfaction. Service benefits not only those who are being served, but provides a solid boost of confidence to those who are doing the serving. Discovery Ranch likes to give back to the community in a way that allows our students to really see the impact they can have on those around them. It teaches your son that he can make a positive difference in his community.
VIP Buddy Sport League
Your son could be a part of our VIP Buddy Sport League that pairs him with a child with a mental or physical disability. Students will teach their “buddy” basic sports skills, cheering them on as they play games with each other. Many of the “buddies” haven’t had any other opportunities to learn and to play sports, making this an amazing experience for your son to connect with someone and to make a difference in that child’s life.
Caring for the Elderly
Another type of service available to our Discovery Ranch boys is the opportunity to care for the elderly in our community. A great way for your son to learn how to build healthy relationships is by visiting and serving those in our communities who need it most. In the winter, that could mean shoveling driveways and sidewalks. In the Spring, it could be caring for gardens and mowing lawns.
Community Beautification
Discovery Ranch boys provide community service by bettering the neighborhoods themselves. Students have planted more than 600 trees throughout Springville, and prepare Mapleton’s baseball fields every season. Our boys also have the chance to work with the U.S. Forest Service in preparing and maintaining the Provo Canyon trails. Community beautification is the perfect combination of physical activity and service to help our participants mental and physical growth.
Sub for Santa
At Christmas time, Discovery Ranch offers the chance for our boys to participate in the Sub for Santa program. Parents are asked to send one less present during the holiday season to their son. In exchange, your son gets the opportunity to play Santa and shop for gifts for a local family in need. If he chooses, he may also get to deliver the gifts to those he shopped for. This service is a great way for our participants to learn gratitude and compassion for their fellow men.
Transition to Adulthood
Once a student turns 18, they have the choice to continue with treatment or enter back into society. If they choose to continue with the recommendation from their therapist, they sign a new adult contract where they may stay and move forward with treatment on Discovery Ranch. The teen must be enrolled with Discovery Ranch for Boys before his 18th birthday to qualify.
As part of this new contract, your son must agree to complete the necessary coursework to receive his high school diploma. He must also agree to finish the treatment plan set out by his therapist. Our 18 year old students continue to take part in the everyday minutiae of ranch life and often are given leadership opportunities among their peers.
