These private residential boarding schools use emotional growth, therapeutic, character and LD structure to help troubled teens.
Emotional Growth schools are for students who are not successfully functioning in a traditional environment.
The curriculum is balanced between the academic and the emotional growth of the child. Students struggling with motivational and self-esteem issues often find success through a structured, emotional growth boarding school environment. Catering to the non-traditional student, therapeutic-based programs offer emotional, physical, social, and spiritual guidance, in addition to educational enrichment.
While scholastics play a significant role in their curriculum's, emotional growth programs are designed for the teen with a history of under performance, both academic and personal, whose acting out behavior is compounded by issues including a negative self-concept and poor self-esteem. The significance of social and emotional development is seen in every area of an adolescent's life.
An adolescent will have a strong foundation for later development when they can manage personal feelings, understand others' feelings and needs, and interact positively with others. Emotional growth schools offer a nurturing, supportive curriculum that often includes counseling within the academic environment.
Group and individual therapy is an integral component of the emotional growth environment, enabling each adolescent to participate fully in their own emotional healing. As with traditional boarding school programs, teens are expected to adhere to school policies and rules, and to make a personal commitment to contribute positively to campus life. The schools are small with enrollment generally between 20-110 students.
Emotional growth students, however, receive daily affirmation that their contributions are valued, and that they themselves are valued members of the community.
Students receive continuous support through experiential learning exercises which help develop a more positive sense of self, and improve decision making, problem solving, and interpersonal skills.
Emotional growth programs are fully accredited and have year-round rolling admissions. The duration of the school can run anywhere between 12-18 months depending upon the child’s growth. Applicants may be required to undergo some psychological testing to determine appropriateness and subsequent needs. Some emotional growth boarding schools require an in depth interview process where students gain a clearer understanding of the commitment necessary for their new placement. While students are expected to be capable of performing scholastically, poor past performance does not serve as grounds for rejection. Emotional growth programs are offered in a wide range of approaches and models.
When selecting a placement, it is important to ensure the pre-teen or teen’s specific and unique needs are compatible with the program format and philosophy.
While the severity of the adolescent’s behavior may be a barrier to admission to some emotional growth programs, a positive program can be found for a range of academic proficiencies.
Whether clinically or experientially based, emotional growth programs provide non-traditional students with a choice and opportunity to improve their lives and an opportunity for a better future.
