Testimonials
Edgestrider Academy has helped my children develop their strategic planning, self defense, and social skills in a fun, creative and physical environment, resulting in self confidence and valuable friendships.
The workshop was wonderful and I felt like I learned a lot about my own personal thought processes and gained some confidence in my abilities. As a bonus we all had a lot of fun! I’ve always been skeptical of people, and I never really made friends of my own. Usually the friendships I had were secondhand, basically by association. I didn’t ever purposely seek friends or go to social events because it was way too stressful for me. By my senior year of high school I had gotten better so I convinced myself to go to a mission with Edgestrider Academy outside of school even though that would require going somewhere I hadn’t been before and camp with people I didn’t really know that well. The biggest thing that I think this program has given me is confidence. The confidence in myself to do the things I have never wanted to do otherwise, and to take risks.
After attending trainings on Sundays and weekend missions I feel like I’ve gained enough confidence in myself and my abilities to handle social interactions better than before because I don’t feel as helpless and weak. I say that because Edgestrider offers a supportive and non-judgemental space. Performance anxiety is pretty much non-existent which is practically unheard of. There is also a lot of reasoning and critical thinking put into all events, characters, actions, and decisions.
It isn’t a program that can really be found anywhere else, and I’ve come to love it very much. I feel very lucky to be able to be involved with this program, and the wonderful people in it. Getting to learn what I have learned in–what feels like–a judgement free space has allowed me to learn that people aren’t always terrible, and that is an extremely valuable lesson for an anxious, introverted person like myself.
I had an amazing time at the July mission at Edgestrider Academy. There’s no other experience that gives the same sense of urgency, adrenaline and camaraderie. All the participants banded together and came up with strategies to accomplish our goals. I look forward to the August mission, as well as any future missions. Apart from the missions, the weekly trainings that I attended earlier this year were highly useful and entertaining. I learned lots of skills, including how to best light a fire outdoors, important things to consider when building a shelter, and had lots of interesting philosophical discussions about various things. Edgestrider Academy is one of my favorite pleasure activities, and all the staff and participants are great to be with and learn with. Thanks especially to Will, the program director, who does so much for us and for the program.
This mission was an amazing experience for me. It taught me a lot about trust as well as working with new people. I was impressed by the story put together for us by the NPCs, including the puzzles and moral quandaries placed before us. I will hopefully be able to join Will and Edgestrider Academy for another mission and learn more about myself and work with others!
The June 2016 mission was an adrenaline rush start to finish. My acquired skillsets were tested using intense and highly immersive live action scenarios that pushed me to my limits. Navigation, communication, stealth, combat, intellect, scouting, strategy, first aid, teamwork– all of these were relied upon. Learning about a skill in a classroom or camp environment is one thing, but actually having to use it in a very real situation where there are consequences to your actions allows you to put your knowledge and experience to use. There’s a big difference between learning how to camouflage yourself and move silently in theory, and actually having to hold your breath and stay as still as is possible in your hiding spot after witnessing all your other friends being slaughtered by a masked figure. There’s a big difference between learning to be alert and cautious in theory, and being ambushed in the dark by a manically laughing, heavily armed, terrifying man on the way back to the car to drop off your food. ESA was an experience like no other. It was an adrenaline packed weekend of fun, learning, screaming, and laughing. I loved it and will be returning for all the upcoming missions, and would enthusiastically recommend this camp to anyone who is interested in testing themselves in a highly immersive and realistic environment.
The Edgestrider mission was an intense and vivid experience that tested me in a way unlike anything else I’ve ever done. The mission was one of the most entertaining and exciting experiences of my life. I made friends, had laughs, worked in a team, went exploring, tested my stealth and combat skills, worked on my negotiation skills, was faced with moral dilemmas, and much more. I highly recommend Edgestrider Academy to anyone who is looking to simultaneously expand themselves and enjoy a highly intense and captivating experience.