Private Boarding School in Montana for Troubled Teens

Montana Academy, Kalispell:
Located in Marion, in the northwestern area of Montana, Montana Academy is a private therapeutic boarding school for young people ages 14 to 17 at crisis points in their lives.

Our typical student is between 14 and 17 years old and at-risk for failing in his or her existing environment. Many have been traumatized by divorce, illness or death of a parent or adoption that has caused an interruption in his or her emotional development.

Unable to cope with the increasing demands of growing up, many students suffer from depression, anxiety, school and social difficulties, low self-esteem and lack of motivation.

Many act out, are disrespectful of rules, run away or engage in substance abuse or other self-destructive behaviors. Many students are very bright but struggle with learning problems associated with ADHD.

- We offer a broad range of classes in English, history, mathematics, science, art and foreign language. Honors and Advance Placement are available in many classes.

- Students take three classes and earn 5 credits per subject passed in a 12-week block curriculum.

- The Academy also offers the PSAT, SAT and assistance with college applications.

Experienced, trained clinicians provide comprehensive treatment that fosters a resumed momentum along the normative sequence of adolescent development.

A sequential phase plan supporting solid progress through an expanding range of options encourages students to become more trustworthy, constructive, energetic and responsible in thinking and behavior. Advancement from each “clan” represents a step forward in the developmental and maturational process.

Students are organized into teams under the care of a clinical supervisor who leads the team’s group therapy four times each week. In addition, students meet with their clinical supervisor for individual therapy weekly.

Students are housed in single-sex dorms ¼ mile apart. The campus includes a schoolhouse library and computer lab, an indoor gymnasium, a riding arena, a science lab and an art studio, as well as a grand new lodge housing kitchen/dining hall together with living room, office space and a student lounge.

The original ranch house now contains administrative offices and classrooms. This self-contained rustic community is an ideal setting for many in need of a break from a destructive, over-stimulated world.

Dorms:
Our spacious dormitories provide comfortable living arrangements for our students. The buildings feature bright interiors and spectacular views of the surrounding hills and streams.

Both the girls’ and boys’ dormitories include large bedrooms, washrooms, common rooms for students to relax as well as staff offices.

Shared chores, classes and meals demonstrate the value of cooperation, the support of friendship, the need for straight talk. Campus work projects provide tangible proof of the relevance of knowledge, as well as occasions for learning how to learn. Accomplished projects—useful, visible and valued in the wider community—contribute to self-respect.

Experiential classes offer opportunities to explore one’s creativity and learn new skills. The Academy keeps a herd of horses, whose care provides work/study projects for a number of interested students. These students derive pleasure and growth from a closely supervised horsemanship program. Other experiential offerings might include lessons in photography, fly-fishing, and drama.

The Transition Home component of Montana Academy’s program provides a gradual step down from the structure of the Academy, offering students a chance to practice their new skills in a less structured environment.

There are two Transition Homes in Kalispell, one for boys and one for girls, each designed to help 17-19 year old students prepare for more independent living after the Academy.

The Transition Home provides a structured environment for young adults to learn how to live independently and how to manage their lives, themselves. For these purposes, the Transition Homes provide access to Flathead Valley Community College, employment, and volunteer placements.

Students are taught skills they need and use these skills during practical experience. Students are supported by weekly groups, weekly individual therapy, and program incentives.

Montana Academy encourages a physical fitness ethic and emphasizes the potential result of individual effort and self-discipline, rather than conventional competitiveness. Cross-country running, trekking, skiing, hiking, cycling and rock climbing are readily available. Exploring Montana’s awesome beauty, challenging terrain and dramatic climate inspires curiosity about the universe, instills respect for nature and encourages students to grow strong and competent.

Shared adventures during challenge weeks pull students and staff together, providing natural contexts for young people and adults to cooperate and speak frankly to one another. The grandeur of the wild gives perspective to personal problems and draws students away from materialism and narcissism.