Get Help Now!
Discovery Academy |
|
|
Discovery Academy [website] 105 North 500 West Provo, UT 84601 | |
| Phone: | 801-374-2121 |
| Ages: | 12-18 |
| Gender: | Boys and Girls |
| Description: | Discovery Academy is a therapeutic boarding school located in Provo, Utah. Situated in between the spectacular Wasatch Mountains to the east and Utah Lake to the west, a variety of outdoor educational and recreational opportunities are literally at our doorstep. Discovery Academy serves students ages 13-17. We offer the best of both worlds - separate programs for boys and girls with opportunities for appropriate co-ed interaction. Our student body is limited to just 32 girls and 50 boys. Our small school environment lets us create an atmosphere where every student is known and every need is addressed. At Discovery Academy, academics, residential living, and therapeutics are all built on an experiential foundation. In each area, our students learn by doing. We focus on building relationships, respect and responsibility. Using this model, we help students discover their true potential, rekindle their love for learning and prepare for post-high school educational opportunities. |
| Director Name: | Mari Allman or Barbara Davis |
| Enroll Info: | Enrollment is open-ended. After an evaluation, and consultation, a child can begin. |
| Student Profile: | Many of our students are bright underachievers with behavioral and or emotional problems that have manifested themselves in school, at home and within the community. Other Academy students have learning disabilities that require the one-on-one learning environment in which we specialize. Many of our students have simply fallen into the wrong peer crowd and insist on blaming everyone but themselves for their problems. The Academy is an excellent choice for teens that have failed in traditional boarding schools and/or are transitioning from other types of treatment programs, such as wilderness or intensive residential treatment programs. |
| Academics: | There are seven reasons why Discovery Academy offers a superior educational model: 1.Superior Instructors Discovery Academy teachers have an average of 25 years teaching experience and most are Master’s level educators. The average tenure for teachers at the Academy is ten years. All teachers are licensed by the State of Utah. 2.Small Classes Student/teacher ratios in Academy classes are generally 12 to 1. In addition to a licensed professional teacher, each class also uses a mentor. 3.Individualized Learning Discovery Academy is not a “packet” program. Our textbooks are literally cut and divided into chapters, or concepts. A teacher works with each student to help them master the information in each concept. Students must test on the material and pass with at least an 80% score. While the student sets the pace, the teacher directs the learning. This provides immediate opportunities for teachers to provide remedial assistance or to challenge the student through a more advanced curriculum. 4.Experiential Learning Activities Once each week students and staff participate in an experiential learning activity that enhances subject matter presented in the classroom. Students may enjoy off campus activities at nearby museums, universities, and state parks. On campus experiential activities include hands-on lecture and visual demonstrations. 5.College Preparation Discovery Academy students typically score higher than the national average on ACT and SAT tests, the examination most colleges require for entrance. In addition, each student is assigned an admissions counselor to help the student apply for acceptance into the college or university of their choice. Our students have been accepted to colleges which include Tulane, Florida State University, Purdue, New York University, University of North Carolina, and community colleges throughout the United States and Canada. Discovery Academy students receive an official transcript of grades to facilitate their entrance into other academic programs. 6.Integrated Clinical and Academic Progress Reporting Educators and clinicians meet monthly to discuss each student’s academic and clinical progress. This information exchange keeps both teams of professionals apprised of any important changes in a student’s behavior or learning. 7.Gender Specific Learning Environment Experience indicates boys and girls tend to pay more attention to subject matter when they are surrounded by same sex peers. For this reason, boys and girls are segregated academically. The Academy does provide limited, closely supervised experiential activities to help students learn and practice appropriate social behaviors. |
| Activities: | Drama |
| Counseling: | The Discovery Academy therapeutic model is relationship based. Therapists, mentors and instructors all strive to create experiences with each student that helps the student learn more about himself. As students are inspired by doing, they discover another piece of their true identity, and they rise to that potential. The experiential relationship model allows for instant feedback, increased student accountability, and a genuine shared experience between therapists, instructors, mentors and students. The Academy offers a higher level of clinical interaction than most therapeutic boarding schools. The therapist to student ratio is approximately 10/1. Students receive more formal and informal therapeutic experiences with weekly individual, group, family therapy, and thematic therapy groups such as anger management, adoption, eating disorders, drug and alcohol relapse prevention, body image, and others. Master’s level clinicians are on campus from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. In addition, a psychiatrist is on staff to maintain or adjust student medications as needed. Because therapy at the Academy is on-going, it is much more flexible. Clinicians are able to adjust the kinds or frequencies of therapy as a student’s needs change. Discovery Academy clinicians respect the progress a student may have made in a previous clinical placement. They acknowledge those achievements by assigning trust and level responsibilities based on the student’s prior achievements. |
| Campus: | Since our founding in 1989, Discovery Academy has grown and expanded to meet the needs of our students. In addition to our beautiful, turn of the century main hall, this year the Academy is pleased to announce the completion of a new 28,000 sq. ft. living and learning center. Every detail in this beautiful new building has been carefully considered for its impact on relationship development and experiential applications. This new facility includes dormitory housing, meeting or “community” areas, classrooms and a science lab, library, office space, dining area and recreational space for exercising and gaming. The Discovery Girls Program will be housed entirely in this new addition. Our Boys Program will remain in our original building. While we are doubling the Academy’s physical space, we will continue to limit the size of our student body. We choose to keep our student numbers lower to increase the opportunity of developing meaningful relationships with each Academy student |
| Family Involvement: | Therapists work with the family on a weekly basis. |
| Length of Stay: | Students stay from 6 months to a year. |
| Staff: | Therapists, counselors and staff members. Therapists are licensed clinicians. |
| Tuition/Costs: | $4,600 per month. |
| Alt Link: | Discovery Academy link (Alternate) |
| Teen Help Provider Type: | |
| Therapeutic Boarding Schools | |
| For more information call: | |
801-374-2121 | |
Before you decide...
|
|
If you are reading this then you are looking for help. The search on the internet can be endless, you have found the site that will help you with all your questions. Before you decide on a program, take a minute and call a family consultant to review your situation and reccomend the program that is right for your child!
|
Featured Teen Help Providers 
