Lake Placid ASTEE: Building Bonds Beyond the Classroom

Lake Placid Adventure: Building Bonds Beyond the Classroom

This summer, nine Grove School students and three dedicated staff members embarked on an unforgettable four-day journey to Lake Placid—an experience that perfectly embodies the transformative power of Alternative Site Therapeutic and Educational Experiences (ASTEE).

Originally developed by Richard L. Chorney in the 1990s, the ASTEE program recognizes that some of the most profound therapeutic and educational breakthroughs happen when students and staff step outside their familiar environment and into shared adventures. As Chorney explained, these experiences create a “nowhere to run, nowhere to hide” environment where authentic relationships can flourish and new competencies emerge.

An Adventure in Independence and Interdependence

The Lake Placid expedition began Thursday with the group settling into a lakeside house, meeting their experienced guides, and preparing for the days ahead. From the moment they arrived, the students took on shared responsibilities—packing canoe bags, planning meals, and organizing gear together.

Friday morning brought the real adventure as the group paddled eight miles around Lake Placid to Moose Island. Along the way, guides shared the rich history and ecology of the region, turning the journey into a floating classroom. Upon reaching their campsite, students worked together to set up camp, collect firewood, and prepare their evening meal. Some explored the island on foot, others tried their luck fishing, and everyone enjoyed swimming in the pristine mountain lake.

“What’s remarkable about these trips is watching students step into leadership roles and support each other in ways they might never do back on campus,” says Cassi Walker, Activities Director. “When you’re sitting around a campfire making s’mores or helping a classmate navigate a challenging canoe route, barriers come down and authentic relationships begin to form.”

Conquering Challenges Together

Saturday brought perhaps the trip’s greatest challenge: hiking Whiteface Mountain. After paddling a mile to the base, the group began their ascent. While some students pushed nearly to the summit, others chose to turn back—and both choices were celebrated as examples of good self-awareness and decision-making. The hike demonstrated one of ASTEE’s core principles: success takes many forms, and every participant can find their own version of achievement.

The return to camp brought more swimming, fishing, and campfire conversations that extended late into the evening—exactly the kind of relaxed, authentic interactions that Chorney identified as transformative.

These moments, he noted, allow staff and students to “become united as equals for a period of time, which has enormous carryover in terms of feelings and understanding.”

The Journey Home and Beyond

Sunday’s eight-mile paddle back to the starting point tested everyone’s endurance, but the shared challenge only strengthened the bonds formed over the previous days. As the group loaded up for the drive home, it was clear that something had shifted.

The ASTEE model predicts exactly this outcome. According to Chorney’s research, these intensive shared experiences create “new behaviors, relationships and competencies” that participants carry back to their regular environment. The returning group contributes positively to the broader school community, sharing their newfound confidence and the deeper relationships they’ve built.

More Than an Adventure

What makes Grove School’s Lake Placid trip more than just a camping excursion is its intentional therapeutic and educational design. Every aspect—from the collaborative meal preparation to the challenge of multi-day canoeing, from the natural history lessons to the evening reflections—serves a purpose in each student’s growth journey.

The trip exemplifies ASTEE’s fundamental insight: that healing and learning happen most powerfully when young people are given opportunities to succeed in new environments, support one another through challenges, and build authentic relationships with caring adults.

As our nine adventurers settle back into campus life, they carry with them not just memories of pristine mountain lakes and campfire stories, but new confidence in their abilities, deeper connections with peers and staff, and a expanded sense of what they’re capable of achieving.

The ripple effects of their Lake Placid adventure will be felt throughout Grove School for months to come—exactly as Richard Chorney envisioned when he first developed this powerful approach to therapeutic education over three decades ago.