Cultivating Hope
This 12-week mentoring program exists to be a hands-on experience for individuals (ages 9 years through adult) or families to promote confidence, problem solving, personal growth and empowerment. Our focus areas including working with individuals who have concerns with anxiety, depression, grief, confidence and social skills - who desire to make a change in their life. Participants are referred to the farm by social workers, teachers, therapists, pastors and other professionals.
During mentoring sessions, mentees are invited to participate in activities with one or more of our horse partners. After the horse and farm activities, mentees and their mentor have a debriefing conversation to help integrate and transform experiences with the horses and other activities into personal breakthroughs and measurable action steps towards reaching goals. Weekly sessions run approximately 90 minutes.
Mentoring activities include meaningful time with horses and other farm animals (goats, dogs, chickens), light chores, nature walks, crafts or other activities. Each session is designed to be a relationally-based time and focused on personal goals.
Our horse partners naturally and intuitively facilitate human healing, personal growth, and the development of important life skills, including assertiveness, trust, healthy boundaries, willing partnership and emotional intelligence. Horses are unbiased, non-judgmental and see us and accept us exactly as we are, without judgment or bias. Our horse partners challenge us to step up in a non-threatening way. You do not need to have any horse experience whatsoever to participate in or benefit from the Cultivating Hope Mentoring program.
Memory Lane Farm Mentors have completed Behavioral Health training through University Wisconsin Green Bay, among other on-going educational courses. Specific staff training details are found on Our Team page.
We are not a professional counseling agency or offer therapy. We believe that counseling/therapy is an important aspect of healing and encourage professional counseling, if needed or desired.
Cost
Each session is $55/participant. Due to generous donations, scholarships may be available upon request.
Participation
Our main requirement is that the participant wants to come. While we do not wish to turn any individual away, there are a limited number of sessions available. Although we cannot guarantee a session for everyone who wants one, MLF does its best to accommodate as many participants as possible.
We also understand that each participant has his or her own unique challenges and our Mentors work hard to adapt sessions to meet the needs of each individual.
Al participants (minors and adults) must complete a Participant Application and Liability Waiver prior to attending a session.
Scheduled Sessions
Once participants are approved, participants will be contacted for scheduling.