One of the scariest thoughts a parent may have for their child is the thought of them being “left behind.” All loving parents want to see their children grow up and succeed. This is why sending a child away for recovery can feel so scary.
So many questions and concerns arise when we see our children struggling with an addictive or life-controlling issue. A common question is, “What happens to my daughter’s education if she goes away for help?” This is a loving and important question to ask when seeking the help your daughter needs. This worry shouldn’t prevent you from getting help for your daughter. Thankfully, here at Elk Mountain Girls Academy, we have taken academic concerns out of the equation.
The Importance of Academics at Elk Mountain Girls Academy
The civil rights leader Malcolm X once said, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” That “future” is why academics are so important to us here at Elk Mountain Girls Academy. While your child is here with us, we are not simply looking to help her feel better. We also want your daughter to grow and become one of the leaders of tomorrow.
We believe academics are an important part of girls’ growth and eventual success. That is why we are a fully accredited middle school and high school. Our students can accumulate two years’ worth of credits in one year here. This ensures they don’t fall behind their peers back home in academics.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “The teen brain has a lot of plasticity, which means it can change, adapt, and respond to its environment. Challenging academics or mental activities, exercise, and creative activities such as art can help the brain mature and learn.” This “plasticity” is something we count as a blessing here at Elk Mountain Girls Academy. It means our students are ready to take on the level of education that we offer.
The Academic Difference at Elk Mountain Girls Academy
Have you noticed we refer to those who come here as students, rather than “guests,” “clients,” or “patients”? That’s because they are. Our girls come here to learn, and in the academic sense, this is meant quite literally.
We feel it bears repeating one of the aspects that truly makes us stand out as a place of recovery: We are a fully accredited private school through Cognia (formerly AdvancED), the leading accreditation institution in the United States. This means your daughter can get the help that she may desperately need without skipping an academic beat at home.
The Link Between Academics and Mental Health
We also understand that many of our students’ struggles have already caused them to fall behind academically. This is understandable. It is hard to focus on academics when something like anxiety and depression, addiction, or a substance use disorder (SUD) is getting in the way.
Studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveal that students who received D’s and F’s compared to those who received A’s were:
- More than 11 times more likely to have injected illegal drugs
- More than four times more likely to have had four or more sexual partners
- Five times more likely to miss school because of safety concerns
- Two times more likely to feel sad or hopeless
Statistics like these reinforce our mission at Elk Mountain Girls Academy. We know that academic success is closely linked to mental health, which is why our program allows girls to work on both simultaneously.
Our Joy at Seeing Our Students Succeed
Like we said before, we don’t just take on a student for the time they are here and then forget about them. That is simply not in our ethos, and it’s not how we operate. This is especially true academically. We work with each of our students on an individualized basis and create a plan that works best for them. Some of our students graduate from high school while here with us. If that doesn’t happen, then we work with students’ schools after they leave to ensure they are still on the right path academically.
We also don’t limit our services to high school academics. Elk Mountain Girls Academy offers many post-secondary options for our students as well. Whether it be a local college, distance learning, or vocational training, we have the access your daughter needs to get a jump start on her post-secondary educational career.
There is nothing more gratifying to us than seeing one of our students succeed beyond the doors at Elk Mountain Girls Academy. The passion for learning and growth is already there within them; we just help them unearth it. As Socrates once said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” We hope to kindle a flame of learning that lasts a lifetime.
At Elk Mountain Girls Academy, we believe in a three-part approach to recovery. Those parts are emotional growth, spiritual learning, and academic accomplishment. We feel that this three-tiered approach is what best set our students up for success. Many people offer emotional growth and spiritual learning, but cannot support their residents’ academics. That is why we here at Elk Mountain Girls Academy are different. We are a fully accredited middle school and high school through Cognia (formerly AdvancED), the leading accreditation institution in the United States. Let us help your daughter get the help she deserves while also obtaining the education she needs. For more information please call Elk Mountain Girls Academy at (888) 403-0346.
