Elk River Wilderness Challenge has expanded their core accredited academic curriculum to include honors, AP and elective courses, Beth Ragland, Vice President of Marketing, announced today.

Elk River Wilderness Challenge has always been unique in emphasizing academics as a part of its behavior modification program. Students are required to attend on-site classes for four hours each day. "The goal for our students who are on a college track is to provide a curriculum that allows them to move at their own pace but still challenges and motivates them to go on," says Ragland.

Until now, ERWC's academic services were limited to the core subject areas, according to Ragland. With its new curriculum provider, ERWC can now offer many more courses than previously. In addition, students have access to one-on-one instructions from online teachers - all certified in their respective subject areas - via telephone, email, and instant message which complements the certified teachers in the classrooms on campus.

"We are just thrilled to be able to offer college prep and even honors-level courses with our new expanded curriculum," says Ragland. "There are only a handful of short-term behavior modification programs that offer an extensive educational curriculum. I don't know of any that can offer the same variety and caliber of courses as we're now able to do."

Elk River Wilderness Challenge is an eight-week assessment and intervention program in north Alabama. Teens that enroll in the program split their time between outdoor activities, designed to promote esteem-building and communication skills, therapeutic intervention, workshops, and vocational projects, and academic instruction, along with the 3-day parenting workshop provided at the end of a student's stay.