(Although Academy at Sisters is not a new program, we have never written a New Perspectives on them.)
Academy at Sisters is a small boarding school for teen girls ages 13 thru 18. Located at the base of the Three Sisters Mountains in Oregon, the Academy is tucked into the lodge pole pines at the bottom of the Cascade Mountains. The typical student profile may include at-risk girls who have run away, chosen poor peer relationships, have poor boundaries, have difficulty in school with truancy or learning disorders, have ADD and/or ADHD, have drug or alcohol issues or anger issues, or young women who have put themselves in dangerous situations and are beyond parental control.
The Academy offers a "personal growth program in tandem with academic requirements". Using the "Cognitive Behavior Therapy model, the cognitive structure shapes attitudes, values and belief systems which in turn reinforces cognitive structure and determines behavior". The clients are provided with weekly therapeutic groups with a minimum of one individual counseling session per week. Accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools and registered with the Oregon Department of Education, the Academy has year round school, operating on a system of five terms annually with a spring, summer and holiday recess.
With the wilderness areas so close, Central Oregon provides a backdrop for the young women to participate in "team building exercises" along with many challenging and recreational activities which include rock climbing, river rafting, skiing, camping, hiking and canoeing. On campus they offer soccer, sand volleyball, court sports and an extensive Equestrian program.