Cherry Gulch Combines Therapeutic Support and Experiential Learning for Middle School Boys
At Cherry Gulch, we believe strongly in experiential learning. We engage our students in learning opportunities that are focused on direct experience and focused reflection. We strive to provide opportunities that foster the development of new and useful skills, values clarification, enhanced knowledge, and an outward mindset that will allow students to be active leaders and contributors in their communities.
The power of our students’ imagination is truly magical. It is a privilege to nurture their curiosity in ways that facilitate imaginative growth to creative ends by experiencing some of the world’s most exciting cultural sites and wilderness adventures! We believe the most powerful learning experiences come from endeavors that our students feel are of great importance.
“The cave we fear to enter, holds the treasure we seek.” –Joseph Campbell
Balanced and Meaningful Activities
Students thrive here in a dynamic environment where therapeutic growth is balanced with meaningful, engaging activities. After completing their daily responsibilities—including morning routines, academics, therapy sessions, and personal care—students are rewarded with access to a wide variety of recreational and athletic opportunities that enrich their experience and support holistic development.
Our diverse activity program includes everything from basketball, racquetball, and judo to rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding, golf, and even triathlon training. Students also enjoy high-energy options like BMX riding, running, bowling, and lacrosse, with many choosing to participate in local sports clubs and community-based programs that further build social skills and broaden their interests.
These activities are not just recreational—they’re thoughtfully designed to promote physical health, emotional resilience, teamwork, and self-confidence. They give students real-world opportunities to apply the skills they’re learning on campus in fun and rewarding ways.
In addition to structured sports, the boys frequently venture into the community for exciting evening and weekend outings. Favorite trips include Nerf arenas, trampoline parks, paintball, go-kart speedways, family fun centers, corn mazes, movie nights, museums, local gyms, and swimming facilities. These adventures provide healthy, supervised fun while reinforcing social development, accountability, and positive peer interaction.
Some of our students’ leisure interests include:
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International Travel Experience
We believe the most profound life lessons are learned through lived experience. That’s why we offer a dynamic travel program designed to broaden students’ horizons—both literally and figuratively. From local weekend excursions to immersive stateside adventures and transformative international journeys, our trips are more than sightseeing—they’re pathways to growth, discovery, and service.
Each journey is anchored in a meaningful theme, integrated with our academic and therapeutic goals. These experiences challenge students to step outside their comfort zones, become more open-minded and self-aware, and build the courage to embrace change. Whether trekking through unfamiliar terrain or working alongside community members in a foreign village, students encounter moments that inspire reflection, resilience, and responsibility.
Our curriculum is intentionally woven into these travel experiences. Students engage in cross-curricular studies tied to each trip’s theme—exploring literature, science, math, character development, history, and even astronomy through the lens of real-world application. This approach sparks curiosity and stretches even our most gifted learners, all while meeting core academic standards.
Service is at the heart of our international travel program. We believe that meaningful change happens when students actively contribute to the well-being of others. By immersing themselves in diverse cultures and communities, they gain new perspectives, develop empathy, and return home transformed—not just as students, but as compassionate, civically engaged global citizens.
