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Our five-day program is designed for children between the ages of 7 and 17 with emotional and behavioral disorders, special needs, and at-risk behaviors. The goal is to help foster emotion-regulation skills and self-esteem by facilitating encounters with wild dolphins and immersing ourselves in the beauty of our local environment.

The first session serves as an introductory sunset tour. Clients will meet the staff and each other, learn a bit about dolphins and the local environment, and become familiar with the boat and the process of looking for marine life.  In the evening, everyone will participate in a sunset tour designed to foster familiarity and comfort with the boat and the process of finding dolphins in the Gulf. 

During the second session, in addition to assessing water and boat skills, clients will learn the process of jumping off the boat. Life vests are required, and children will have the option of a snorkeling mask or a full-face mask.  Each child will be paired with a trained volunteer who will help them every step of the way. We will start practicing in shallow water and move to deeper water when everyone is comfortable, culminating in jumping into the water to swim near dolphins. We will also take the opportunity to snorkel, swim, explore the Gulf and Bay, and participate in shallow 'wet labs' with local marine life, depending on the dolphins' behavior and the clients' needs. 

The subsequent three sessions will entail four-hour boat trips into the Gulf to find and swim with the wild dolphins. The autonomy of the dolphins is as important as the comfort and safety of clients, meaning that there will be times when the dolphins are not interested in interactions and times when dolphins are unable to be found. Staff will optimize these circumstances to help foster and practice emotion regulation and coping skills. 

Staff will help clients process their experiences using active listening and therapeutic communication. The emphasis will be on the relationship between humans and animals, unconditional positive regard, emotion regulation and coping skills, and methods to foster a sense of connection and social support. If relevant, posttraumatic growth and processing through past trauma histories will also be included. 

The program will end with a wrap-up session where clients will be presented with a program completion certificate. This is also when a post-program assessment will take place. Research is an important component of this program, and clients will be asked to participate in pre and post program surveys. This information will be used for continual program evaluation and improvement. In addition, clients will be asked to rate their current mood and assess their heart rate with a portable heart rate monitor at the beginning and end of each session, allowing for increased reflection during the sessions.