With the approach of summer comes camp season, a time when young people get to feel as if they are out on their own, while parents are given some alone time. But rather than two weeks of ballet, tennis or swimming, what about an adventure that goes up mountains, down rivers and across state lines?
Emphasizing the motto “educate, empower, engage,” Panacea Adventures is a locally run nonprofit organization that takes youth ages 12-18 on wilderness expeditions designed to teach interpersonal skills in a challenging yet fun environment. Husband and wife Zac and Celine Adair founded Panacea together in 2008 after having both worked in the outdoor industry for a combined 30 years-plus. Their philosophy at Panacea is based on the value of experiential education — essentially learning by doing.
“We are not a touring company,” Zac Adair emphasized. “We are using wilderness experience to create life-long learners and instill leadership skills.”
The nonprofit has seen steady growth in the number of participants, from 24 people in its first year of programs to 70 during the second year. Adair estimates this year will end up with as many as 90 participants.
At this point, the various outdoor programs are run only during the summer, but the group plans on developing yearlong programs starting in 2013.
The Youth Leading the Way program in particular is structured around a specific curriculum. Starting in Pisgah National Forest in the western part of the state and ending in Wilmington, this nine-12 day trip immerses students in environments they might have never encountered before, teaching them communication, decision-making and teamwork skills along the way.
“Youth Leading the Way is great for students who have trouble learning in a traditional school environment. Through experiential education, we give them skills they need to be successful in life,” Adair said.
The second program, called Mountain to Sea, is more of a summer camp experience in which students hike and kayak hundreds of miles over the course of 18-24 days. As of 2013, Mountain to Sea will be offered in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska and Oregon — an expansion made possible by the Adair’s personal connections nationwide with other outdoor leadership professionals.
There are nine wilderness guides on staff at Panacea who hold many certifications and have the experience of running back country expeditions. Some staff members are more experienced in facilitating interpersonal development, which complements the programs’ focus on both outdoor immersion and personal growth.
With Panacea’s growth, the nonprofit is constructing a new building on a property just north of Snow’s Cut Bridge at Carolina Beach. This base camp, as Adair calls it, will serve as a meeting place and warehouse for all of the gear needed for each program. The Adairs, who have been working out of their home, will now have their own office space — where Zac said Celine “does all the work” from Internet marketing to organizing grants and fundraising events. They expect to finish the facility by this fall.
Also located in the new facility is the Professional Development Center, whose courses will be held in base camp classrooms. The center will offer certifications for outdoor professionals as well as workshops for teachers and therapists to learn new skills they can implement in their classrooms or clinical sessions. Classes run out of the center will be held throughout the year, helping to sustain Panacea between summers.
A variety of fundraising activities help enable Panacea to offer its programs at a minimal price or for free. Mountain to Sea charges a fee, but Youth Leading the Way offers scholarships made possible by grants, donations and events like the upcoming Panacea Paddle — a stand-up paddleboard race in Carolina Beach on June 9. The all-day festival will include live music, vendor tents and raffle prizes such as a custom-made surfboard, rafting trips, zip-line tours and a trip to a mountain cabin getaway.
Panacea also offers charity camps, such as Healing Ocean for families dealing with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that causes excess mucus to build up in the lungs and other organs.
“New research shows that saline water helps break mucous loose in CF patients,” Adair said.
This annual camp involves three days of activities in the ocean, where both youth and parents spend time in the saltwater swimming, kayaking and surfing.
Adair’s personal story is an inspiration to students and peers, as he remains a passionate outdoorsman even after losing his vision seven years ago. A drunk driver hit Adair while he was on his bicycle, causing him to go on life support for 10 days and eventually go blind in his right eye and only 3 percent vision in his left eye. That did not, however, stop Adair from travelling alongside students across North Carolina, offering support and understanding to those who might be struggling along the way.
“At the start, Celine and I had a good idea of how this would be structured,” Adair said about Panacea. “We have added new courses in other states, but the curriculum will not change because that is what makes us who we are. It is what sets us apart from Outward Bound and NOLS and other companies that work in this field.”
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