By Sydni Frost | April 8, 2016

Common Ground program seeks adults with disabilities for summer sessions

Common Ground Outdoor Adventure’s summer program for young adults with disabilities is now accepting applications for participants.

The program, known as YALP, or Youth Adventure Leadership Program, is designed to help individuals between the ages of 17 and 24 to learn to secure employment, build confidence, and develop job-related skills. Three sessions will be held throughout the course of the summer. Each session will be held every day for three weeks, ending with an overnight camping trip where all previously learned skills are applied and challenged.

“I know that these students exist,” said Megan Deane, the YALP program coordinator. “It’s like a treasure hunt. I want to find them because I know it will change their lives.”

Deane has been visiting high schools throughout the valley notifying parents and students of YALP.

Interested participants are encouraged to visit Common Ground’s website where more information regarding the specific dates may be found. Applications can also be downloaded on the website. Applications can be turned in to the provided email or at the Common Ground office located at 335 N. 100 East in Logan.

Activities like hiking, volunteering at various organizations in Cache Valley, rock climbing, rafting, biking, resume writing and learning how to use the local bus systems will promote independence and build confidence. Each of the outdoor activities will progressively get harder as the weeks go by, challenging participants to new heights and expanding their expectations for what they can achieve.

At the end of each session, participants will be certified in bike maintenance, leave no trace, swift water rescue and will have a food handler’s permit as well as belay certification.

Deane hopes to have internships available for participants, helping them transition into a more productive independent lifestyle. Deane hopes to not only change the participants’ views of what can be accomplished, but also employers’. 

“We hope to present them with a lot more options than they thought were possible,” Deane said. “I think sometimes we underestimate people's abilities.”

This summer marks YALP’s third year in promoting independence and challenging self perception. In past years, participants have been placed in jobs and internships throughout the valley, including the Willow Park Zoo.

“It’s really cool to see a change in employers as well as clients,” said Bryce Patten, the director of Common Grounds Outdoor Adventure. “Lots of our clients come from Special Ed classes. They’ve never been let free. They’ve always have supervision. This is when they really start to blossom — when they can see what they can do by themselves.”

Parents of previous participants are enthusiastic to see the program’s success and the changes in their child’s attitude after participating. Several parents commented to Common Ground employees that their child came home as a completely different person.