The First Step
We believe that education is an integral part of a student’s recovery and overall well-being. Building Bridges Academy is our fully-accredited in-house academic program. It is designed to provide a supportive and structured environment for students to continue their education and make academic progress while in residential treatment.
Our experienced and dedicated staff works closely with each student to identify their individual academic needs and create a personalized education plan. Our goal is to help students develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed academically, with the plan to enroll them in a public high school while at Building Bridges. This real-world experience is crucial to a student’s overall success after successfully completing our program.
Academic Curriculum: Our academic program is designed to meet the needs of high school students who may have fallen behind in their coursework due to mental health challenges or other obstacles. We are able to deliver an academically rigorous curriculum in all core subjects – English, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics. We also have a robust selection of Physical Education, Fine Arts, Vocational, and Elective classes – including hands-on experience in both Automotive Service Tech and Industrial Engineering & Design.
Individualized Instruction: Each student in our academic program receives one-on-one instruction from a dedicated teacher. This individualized approach ensures that students receive the support and guidance they need to succeed academically and make meaningful progress. Every student will have a complete credit evaluation done and has a hand in crafting their own academic plan.
Supportive Environment: We have an 8 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio which allows us to intervene with a student before he begins to shut down. It is this sort of rapid response, enabled by our small class sizes, that helps us give your son the best chance at academic success. We understand the importance of creating a supportive and nurturing environment for students to learn and grow. Our teachers and staff are dedicated to helping students build self-esteem, confidence, and a positive attitude toward learning.
Blended Enrollment: Some of our students may be selected for a blended enrollment process, where they will experience a curriculum delivered by the public school, but remain in the Building Bridges Academy classroom. Often, this will help ease the transition to the public school. Students in this environment will receive credit from the public school while being able to take advantage of the more individualized level of support BBA has to offer.
Transition to College or Career: Upon completion of the academic program, students will have the skills and confidence they need to transition to college or career. Our staff provides guidance and support to help students make this transition and ensure their continued success.
College and Career Planning
Many of our students graduate from high school while at Building Bridges. Building an appropriate academic, military, or vocational plan is critical to their ongoing success. Both the academic and therapeutic teams will work together with the student and his family to build a post-graduation plan that works for all involved. Graduates from Building Bridges have found success in top tier universities, moved on directly to the job market, or enlisted in the military. All of that takes fair amount of planning and coordination on the part of the student, and we are here to support him along the way. We will support each student as he takes ACT/SAT exams, completes college and financial aid applications, arranges college tours, and ultimately decides, along with his family, on the best school to attend. We will also support them as they arrange for job interviews, create resumes, or arrange meetings with military recruiters and ASVAB testing.
There are innumerable paths to a single goal. We work with each student and family to find the one that works best for their needs.
