Our Story

The Adventure Learning Program grew out of a partnership between Scott Shumate and a Houston area non-profit that worked with teens and families in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Scott was first introduced to them through their three-week summer backpacking trip where he served as a wilderness guide and . After many summers of positively impacting the teens of these various groups, he moved to Houston, Texas with the intention of developing an outdoor adventure program.

This decision was made based on the positive impact the yearly trip had on the teens and Scott. He made the leap and made the move because he saw the importance of expanding the benefits of adventure based learning and experiential education to all of Houston’s recovering communities. Thus, the Adventure Learning Program was born.

Since 2010, Scott tirelessly built the foundation for effective programs geared towards building self-esteem and facilitated positive life changes to hundreds of teens and families. Through his dedication and hard work, he developed physical and adventure-based activities that have become the key to the Adventure Learning Program’s success: the various weekly activities and the wilderness adventure trips. 

Since 2017, the Adventure Learning Program has become widely recognized in the Houston adolescent recovery community as the physical-fitness program that addresses low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and destructive behaviors through adventure based learning.

The Adventure Learning Program has gone on to influence and change the Alternative Peer Group model of recovery in a city that has gained a national reputation for its unique approach to the adolescent drug crisis.

In the recovery/mental health field, Houston, Texas is known for its numerous inpatient, outpatient, and outreach groups that provide adolescents with a strong support system. Houston is home to a wide community of influential leaders and mental health professionals who are at the forefront of adolescent mental health support.