How At-risk Programs and Private Schools Help Troubled Girls
Risky behaviour often arises from a teen girl’s inability to adapt to new and risky environments. And no environment can entail more trouble for a teen girl than high school. Removing children from harmful environments is one of the premiere benefits seen in at-risk programs, in private schools or in "teen boot camps."
Clearly not every public school is the same, but they are very often the source of a teen girl’s first exposure to harmful influences, such drugs, alcohol, smoking, violence, promiscuity, and gossip. It’s easy to feel lost among so many other students, and teachers and administrators are often so overwhelmed by large class sizes, lack of funding, and other managerial problems that there is little time to devote to students they feel are at risk, if they notice any developing problems at all.
That’s how a local businessman from Stratford, Ontario felt when his daughter and her friends returned home from their public school and complained of such problems. He started the Nancy Campbell Collegiate Institute with an emphasis on leadership and world learning, and all of his daughter’s concerns about risky influences disappeared.
Private schools commonly offer close student-teacher relationships, tight-knit communities, and top-notch academic programs to ensure that a teen girl receives the guidance, comfort, and structure essential for a successful education. But sometimes problems are so overwhelming at home that a brand new community is what’s needed for a teen girl at risk. Private boarding schools, like Venture Academy in Kelowna, British Columbia, are designed specifically for troubled teens. They specialize in rehabilitating teens at risk through their own home environment, staffed by professional therapists, councilors, medical doctors, and tutors to provide the best support and care for troubled teens possible.
It may be difficult to decide to send a teen girl away to a boarding school for at risk teens, but it may be well worth it in the end. The vast majority of Venture Academy graduates are able to turn their risky behaviour around upon their return home. And Venture Academy is not the only boarding school for teen girls at risk that has seen some substantial improvements in their students.
One At-risk Teen Girl: Becky
Take Becky for example. Upon entry into public school, she quickly became defiant of her parents and their rules – she skipped school, drank late into the night, and fought with her mother regularly. One day Becky saw the destructive path she was heading down, and realized she needed a change.
"I was afraid I was going to end up a nobody and that was my worst fear - to be a failure," Becky said.
She and her mother decided on Rocklyn Academy in Meaford, Ontario. At risk of failing her courses at her previous school, Becky quickly rose to the ranks of “head girl” and will be pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian at the University Of Guelph, complete with scholarship. Cassie, another teen girl at risk, also found the support she needed to turn her life around at Rocklyn. Her local school was a destructive community for her, where she fell into the wrong crowd, stopped going to class, and even developed a drug addiction. At Rocklyn Academy, they nurtured her love for science and medicine and gave her the confidence to pursue this field in university.
"They said to me, ‘You’re smart, you’re amazing, you can really do this,’” she said. “I was finally ready to accept help and it was here for me."
Canada has many effective boarding schools for teen girls at risk, ensuring there is a practical solution for any family dealing with a troubled teen girl. For a complete listing of such schools, click here.
Many families worry about the costs that come from private or boarding schools. However, in today’s society, boarding schools for teen girls at risk have realized that families who cannot afford high tuition rates are sometimes the families that need the most help. Therefore, they’ve made changes to become much more reasonable options for families across all economic backgrounds. Under Paying Private School Tuition we offer useful tips on how to finance a private school education for troubled teens.
