In the early 1980s, Doug and Robbie Smith were planning to retire and spend a year cruising the world by boat. Their plans were put on hold when they agreed to let a couple of troubled teenage boys live with them -- a decision that led to 25 years (and counting) of work with troubled teens, and a Hallmark TV movie about their efforts.

And the boys never stopped coming. Since founding the Safe Harbor Boys Home on the St. Johns River in 1984, the Smiths have helped more than 800 boys, ages 12 to 18, get a start in life. A new Hallmark movie, "Safe Harbor," debuted [May 30] at 9 p.m. (Source: The Tampa Tribune)

The residential educational program for at risk teen-aged boys that the Smiths established will celebrate its 25th anniversary in June. It receives no government funding, and operates entirely on donations. Doug and Robbie Smith never got to take that round-the-world cruise, but the Smiths say they have no regrets.

Interested in other residential educational opportunities for troubled youth? A number of private boarding schools have enabled adolescents and teens to overcome a range of academic, behavioral, and mental health challenges.

Labels: boarding schools, troubled_teenagers

The summer can be a dangerous time for struggling teens. If they have too much time on their hands, not much supervision, and a few friends who don't have the greatest influence on them, they have ample opportunity to get into trouble. Parents often spend the summer worrying - and as the weeks go by, they anticipate the beginning of the new school year, hoping the structure will "fix things."

Parents whose teen has promised to "do better next year" may find themselves postponing the finding of a better situation for their teen. If you have considered boarding school as an option, it's important to know that many therapeutic and emotional growth boarding schools offer year-round, rolling admissions. This means you can enroll your teen during the summer.

There are a number of benefits to enrolling your teen during the summer break:

1. They get a head start on the school year, and can catch up on lost credits from the previous schoolyear.

2. You don't have to hold your breath all summer, hoping your teen does not get into "too much" trouble.

3. Your teen will have a productive summer. Most boarding schools offer recreational activities that are so varied, it would be difficult to replicate the options at home.

For example, Copper Canyon Academy, a girls' boarding school in Arizona, offers an equine program - horseback riding becomes part of the therapeutic process, so the teen learns about him or herself while learning a wonderful new skill.

Stone Mountain School, a boarding school for boys with ADHD, offers mountain hiking and other outdoor activities to their students.

If a long-term boarding school does not seem like an option for you, there are summer wilderness therapy programs that offer hiking, boating, and wilderness adventures.

Labels: boarding schools, summer programs