The Summit Academy

FROM T HE

COURTROOM TO THE

CLASSROOM TO

SUCCESS.

EXCEL “ All their lives, our students have been caught doing something wrong.

Our job is to catch them doing something right.” ™ Sam Costanzo Founder & Chief Executive Director The Academy Schools

Setting Young Men on the Path to a Better Future You can expect great things from the young men who call The Summit Academy home. We do.

Located on a 125-acre campus in rural Butler County, Pennsylvania, The Summit Academy is a private, residential school for court-adjudicated youth ages 14-18 in grades 9-12. Our program is multi-faceted, interweaving academics, counseling, trades training and athletics. It provides the transforming environment and unwavering support juvenile offenders need to redirect their lives.

From the moment they begin their day – dressed in a sport coat, oxford-weave shirt, tie, khaki pants, belt and loafers – our young men are treated like gentlemen. Apart from the temptations and trouble from which they came, they flourish. Surrounded by support and encouragement, they excel.

LEARN

Private Academic High School & Related Educational Services

We believe that education is critical to a young man’s development and future success.

So we create an environment that maximizes the potential for meaningful learning.

Special Education Department and Instructional Support Team On average, students arrive at The Summit Academy functioning two to three years below their appropriate grade level. To accelerate their skills, we offer strong individual attention, a computer-equipped Learning Center and year-round education, as well as daily, supplemental remedial instruction in both Math and Language Arts.

Our Special Education Department offers critical services, including the development, evaluation and implementation of Individual Education Plans (IEP). Specifically Designed Instruction (SDI) and other instructional accommodations are also developed by multidisciplinary team members to effectively meet individual student needs and abilities.

Solid Plans for Successful Futures The Summit Academy is thoroughly committed to lighting the way to a brighter future for our students by showing them what we expect of them and helping them get there.

In addition to our traditional high school academic classes, we also offer: • General Equivalency Diploma (GED) instruction, preparation and testing • Transferable college credit through our on-campus College within The High School Program • Monthly SAT instruction and no-fee SAT testing • On-site College & Career Fair • College Placement and Career Development Support • Assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) The Private Academic Secondary School at The Summit Academy is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and staffed by certified, professional educators.

Credits earned are applied toward each student’s high school transcript. The Summit Academy also awards high school diplomas.

“ Before I came here, I actually did feel kind of hopeless. I felt like there was nowhere that I could go. After graduation today, I plan to go to college.”

Dale, Class of ‘12

“ By participating in the voluntary review process, we have demonstrated to a team of on-site CARF surveyors that our programs and services are of the highest quality. As a result, we feel that we’re successfully reaching a higher standard of care provided in the area of juvenile justice and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.”

Rev. Frank Ziemkiewicz O.S.B. Colonel U.S. Army Retired The Summit Academy President, Board of Directors

For seriously at-risk juveniles, drug and alcohol rehabilitation is a critical component of life at The Summit Academy.

A Holistic Approach to Healing We utilize a “holistic” approach because we have seen, again and again, that a strategic combination of counseling, treatment and an environment of motivation and positive reinforcements works wonders.

As our young men forge their own path to sobriety, they may utilize the following eclectic treatment models: • • • • •

The Summit Academy Inpatient Drug & Alcohol Program boasts exceptionally high standards of compliance and accreditation with regulatory agencies in the field.

12-Step Approach Chronic Disease Model Rational Emotional Therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Reality-Based Therapy

The intentional structure and productive routines they establish while living at Summit also contribute greatly to their success following rehabilitation.

An Environment of Encouragement

Specifically Summit Academy:

STRENGTHEN Inpatient Drug & Alcohol Treatment Services

• c onsistently earns near-perfect ratings in the licensing process with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Drug & Alcohol Programs (BDAP).

Throughout the school environment, students discover numerous opportunities to develop positive, proactive interests and skills.

•h as earned three consecutive, three-year accreditations from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

Because the common denominator among delinquent youth is often low self-esteem and poor self-image, our programs are designed to lift young men up.

• i s fully contracted with all five Managed Care Organizations in the state of Pennsylvania for FULL reimbursement of treatment services, as well as room and board.

• was the recipient of the Pennsylvania Certification Board’s 2014 PRESIDENT’S AWARD for exceptional contributions to the field of recovery.

They may discover a love of academics.

Learn a trade. Letter in a varsity sport.

Reduce or fulfill restitution obligations through work programs. Or engage in community service.

Our programs strengthen a young man’s sobriety, confidence, self-worth and sense of his own unlimited potential.

DISCOVER Group & Individual Counseling

With every day comes a new discovery.

Summit Academy provides a supportive, caring environment where students are taught the skills necessary to develop productive and respectful relationships with peers, parents and other adults.

A Plan for Success Upon arrival, each student meets his assigned counselor, who develops, implements and evaluates his Individualized Service Plan (ISP). Probation Officers participate in the plan and formal reports are submitted on a regular basis to them and the student’s Judge. In order to ensure effective communication with parents and guardians, students and counselors maintain contact with their families on a weekly basis.

Finding the Good, Freeing the Anger From informal individual counseling sessions to group counseling formats, our youth have access to a full spectrum of rehabilitative counseling services. They learn to redefine who they are, refocus their energies and begin to repair relationships. Quite simply, they make the discoveries of a lifetime.

Group sessions include: • • • •

Aggression Replacement Training Thinking For A Change Victim Awareness Life Skills

Industrial Arts Classes · · · · · · ·

Automotive Mechanics Carpentry Building Maintenance Welding Drafting Technology (CADD) OSHA 10 Certification Course ServSafe Certification

When young men receive hands-on training in one of the many trades offered, they take their future into their own hands.

The Summit Academy offers Industrial Arts courses during the school day and in the evening to equip students with basic trade skills, a positive work ethic and a new path to self-sufficiency and independence.

Giving Back to the Community All Summit students are required to complete a minimum of 50 hours of community service. In many cases, their Industrial Arts training sparks an opportunity for them to put their skills to work for the greater good, both on and off campus.

Work Programs & Restitution Summit Academy students who maintain court-ordered restitution or court fees obligations may qualify to participate in the on-campus Restitution Stipend program within our Culinary Services Department. While learning employability skills applicable to the food service industry, students also earn a stipend which is utilized to fulfill or reduce their financial obligations. It is the goal of Summit Academy to enable students to meet this important aspect of their placement goals whenever possible.

SHARPEN Industrial Arts Training

Learning to handle pressure and opposition on the field of play is invaluable experience for creating positive momentum in life.

ASPIRE

Varsity and Intramural Athletics

At The Summit Academy, we provide a healthy milieu where competition and life collide. By competing in seven varsity sports in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL), the Summit Academy Knights learn life lessons and uncover a sense of strength and pride many of them never knew they had.

Summit students engage in a range of varsity sports and intramural programs which concretely imprint the essential concepts of teamwork, respect, trust, discipline, commitment and dedication.

Recreation, Fieldtrips & Off-Campus Activities Although our students may temporarily reside in rural Butler County while at Summit Academy, the proximity to Pittsburgh makes it easy for them to regularly experience new situations, cultures and lifestyles. Nearly every weekend, our students attend offcampus activities which may include a ballet, a professional or collegiate sporting event, a museum, a historical landmark, the zoo or other unique event. As a result, they return to their home and community with a broader sense of the world and of their place in it.

Varsity Athletics include: • • • • • • •

Baseball Basketball Football Golf Track Volleyball Wrestling

Recreational and Intramural Activities include: • • • • • • • • •

Pep Squad Drum Corps Drama Club Badminton Fishing Flag Football Kickball Softball Swimming

Family Interaction Initiatives Summit Academy recognizes the importance of a positive, productive and close relationship between a student and his family, particularly when he is away from home. Therefore we are committed to offering a broad spectrum of family interaction opportunities throughout a young man’s stay at our school. Our multifaceted effort includes: • Semi-weekly phone calls between the student and his parent/guardian.

• On-campus visits including visitation time, as well as the opportunity to share a meal and/or meet with a supervisor.

• Home visits as agreed upon and approved by the placement agency.

• Video conferencing opportunities where available.

Creating a Transition Plan Prior to discharge, each student participates in the creation of his own Transition Plan.

This document serves as a roadmap to success, outlining his future priorities and objectives. The Transition Plan includes a holistic approach to community and family reunification and draws in all the influences in the young man’s life: probation offices, school districts, parents, families and community resources.

Success is Contagious At every level, across all of our programs, The Summit Academy strives to instill a deep sense of accomplishment and achievement in our students. We have seen it change lives, time and time again. Once students have proven themselves, they know they have more strength than they ever imagined. Returning to their families and communities equipped with the skills, abilities and motivation to face the challenges ahead of them, our young men know the future is in their hands. Finally, they are free to realize their true potential.

MAINTAIN Family & Aftercare Services

The Summit Academy is part of the Academy Schools, a proud network of award-winning schools for court-adjudicated youth. Established in Western Pennsylvania and managed by leaders and innovators in the field of juvenile justice, these schools are both community-based and residential, serving both local and out-of-state students.

A History of Success In 1982, founder Samuel A. Costanzo opened our first school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the request of juvenile court judges who were seeking a healthy alternative to the institutionalization of Allegheny County juvenile offenders.

The Academy Schools, though increasing in number, have never forgotten their core mission of combining rigorous educational curricula with extensive counseling services, trade skills training and athletics. We seek to capture our students in their finest moments, emphasizing their successes and never letting them revert to anything less than their best.

It’s a philosophy – indeed, an entire system – that works wonders.

“ The type of volunteer program that you offer to residents of the community is commendable. The heart of volunteer work is both honorable and very encouraging.

I am sure the values that you have taught the students are deep-seated and will bring them pride for a job well done.”

Cindy Geary Community Resident Community Service Recipient

EMPOWER The Academy Schools: Where Pride Still Matters

The Academy Schools consists of: THE ACADEMY DAY/EVENING PROGRAM The Academy Day/Evening Program marked the birth of The Academy Schools. Decades after its founding, it still provides positive after-school structure and services for students who live at home.

They receive counseling and trades training to fulfill their requirements as mandated by the court.

THE ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL Founded in 2005, this licensed, secondary charter school provides a unique educational environment for injured learners and students who are chronically absent. Students receive individualized attention, extensive support services and opportunities to enhance their social competencies; all of which are designed to increase learning potential and bolster confidence in their ability to succeed.

THE ACADEMY INTEGRATED PROGRAM This program, created in 2011, provides an all-inclusive opportunity for community-based students to attend The Academy Charter School, as well as participate in counseling and trade training services during an extended school day schedule.

THE SUMMIT ACADEMY Opened in 1996 as a private residential school for young men 14-19 and in grades 9-12, The Summit Academy follows the same tradition of pride and excellence as established by The Academy Day/Evening Program.

NEW OUTLOOK ACADEMY Expanding on the core principles of The Academy Schools, New Outlook Academy, formerly Sleepy Hollow Academy, opened in 1997 as a long-term residential school for young ladies. In 2015, New Outlook also opened an inpatient drug and alcohol program, incorporating our positive, holistic approach to treatment in order to address the unique challenges facing young women today.

CONTACT US: Please contact the Court Liaison in your community to make a referral or to learn more about The Summit Academy.

We welcome your inquiries.

P.O. Box 13 839 Herman Road Herman, PA 16039 (724) 282-1995 www.theacademyschools.com