This summer, youth at Sycamores’ Family Resource Center in Palmdale took part in an unforgettable journey through the Wolf Academy, a free youth empowerment program offered in partnership with Wolf Connection.
Over the course of seven weeks, participants ages 10–16 connected with rescued wolves virtually and, ultimately, in person. Through interactive lessons and videos, they explored the wolves’ stories of resilience and survival and life skills they demonstrate such as leadership, teamwork, self-awareness, and decision-making.
Each week focused on a different “wolf wisdom,” including understanding one’s role in the pack, the importance of knowing who you are, and how true leaders rely on collaboration, not control. Youth learned that being an alpha means staying calm and observant, while betas often make key decisions for the good of the group. The pack depends on every member. Another lesson focused on making a commitment – wolves do not commit to everything – but they give 150% to everything they do commit to.
For many, the highlight of the program was a graduation field trip to the Wolf Connection Sanctuary. There, they got to meet several of the wolves they had learned about and go on a hike with two of them.
There was one wolf they were especially eager to meet – Annie, a three-legged wolf whose powerful story of survival struck a deep chord with the youth. She survived living in a traumatic environment before coming to Wolf Connection, and then also survived an incident while she was there, which caused her to lose her leg. “Many of the kids connected with her resiliency,” said Sycamores’ Lorraine Louis, who facilitated the program. Lorraine noted that one of the lessons that Annie demonstrates is wolves are okay with who they are, something that resonated with the youth. “And then a second lesson was: to be okay with who you are, you need to know who you are. It all tied in, being a part of a pack, working as a team, knowing your role.” Confidence, resilience, knowing your strengths, these weren’t just abstract ideas. They became real when the kids saw them modeled by the wolves.
Whether building friendships, learning about their own “origin stories,” or standing tall like the confident wolf they admired, these youth walked away with more than memories. They walked away with a renewed sense of identity and strength.
