Rob Knight is off to college this fall, thanks, in part to Discovery Academy.
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Rob’s hometown newspaper, the South Whidbey Record, profiled the Washington state high school football star in a recent article.
He told reporter Jeff Vanderford he attended Discovery Academy after graduating from a wilderness program. “I had no respect for myself or for others,” Rob said. “Though I loved football, there wasn’t much else I took seriously.”
After wilderness, he returned home but struggled in the classroom. That’s when his parents decided to try Discovery Academy.
Vanderford writes, “Knight figured out some key academic, motivational and directional issues and successfully completed requirements from the academy in time to begin his senior year at South Whidbey.”
During his senior season, Rob carried the ball 246 times for more than 1,500 yards. He was named Most Valuable Player by the Cascade Conference.
Vanderford reports, “Knight’s successful football season and moderate academic success led him to consider attending college and playing football at the next level. He came very close to being accepted at Pacific Lutheran University for the 2007 fall semester, but fell short academically.”
Rob was determined to make the grade. “If I set a goal, I know I can accomplish it with hard work,” he told the paper.
This past year he took courses as Skagit Valley College. He achieved the required grade point and will attend PLU this fall, where he’ll also play football.
“Knight’s story illustrates determination, community and school support and the personal triumph of the will,” says Vanderford.
We think so too. Congratulations, Rob!
Giggles, groans and plenty of “Cool!” Discovery Academy’s girls’ program moved into the top floor of the new, $3-million Academic Center in July.
The new residential facilities include eight new dorms, each with space for four girls. Each dorm has bathroom and shower facilities. There are also two huge common rooms for recreation and community meetings.
The girls’ area is designed for just 32 beds, keeping the program small and exclusive.
Dorm rooms have built in closets and desks, warm paint tones and subdued lighting. Even the wall art reflects a relaxed and home-like environment.
Bathrooms feature stone tile work with two sinks, plenty of mirror and counter space, showers and toilets.
In the common rooms, a flat screen television is mounted on the wall with cozy leather couches in a semi-circle beneath.
Windows on the south and west sides of the building fill the rooms with light and warmth.
From their new office area, mentors can see into the common rooms and down each hallway. There’s also a dispensary for medication management and other health needs.
While the girls got the newest building, the boys’ dorm will also see some changes. Floors previously occupied by the girls in Discovery’s original building will now be remodeled for more open space for the boys program.
“Instead of increasing the overall capacity in the program, our board of directors has chosen to increase the living space in the boys’ dorm area,” says Brent Hall, the Academy’s Executive Director. Now both programs have spacious dorm areas with no plans to add more students. “Discovery Academy will remain a 50-bed boys program and a 32-bed girls’ facility,” Brent says. “I believe this makes us the best value for individualized treatment in the country.”
Discovery Academy is proud of the men and women who work with our students as therapists, educators, and front-line staff. Each newsletter brings you a more personal look at some of the professionals who make Discovery Academy such a rewarding experience. We hope you'll enjoy getting to know them better.
Bradley Evans, CSW
“I like to do challenging things. I guess that’s pretty obvious in what I do for a living,” Brad Evans says with a laugh.
Brad says he’s wanted to be involved in social work since high school. “I was the one everybody wanted to tell there problems to,” he recalls. “I liked listening and trying to help them.” He also loved playing volleyball on his high school team.
Brad grew up in the Bay area of California, the oldest of five children. After high school, he attended Brigham Young University where he graduated with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in social work.
He and his wife, also a volleyball player, met in college and now are the parents of a one-year-old son. The couple recently trained for and ran a half-marathon together. “My wife likes to run. I don’t- but I wanted to be supportive,” he says.
Brad says spending time with his family is his number one priority, but he still enjoys playing volleyball, riding his motorcycle, rock climbing, and snowboarding.
Brad also likes to cook and says he learned from his dad. “Our last home had only a microwave, a hot plate and a toaster oven so cooking was a bit of a challenge.” Now he has a “real” kitchen and says his specialties are banana cream pie and meatloaf.
“I’m a pretty active person,” Brad says. Discovery Academy fits his style of therapy because he believes a relationship-based approach is most effective.
“The thing I like the most about the Academy is the experiential component of the program. Adolescents respond much more when they’re being involved in something, rather than sitting in an office being asked, ‘how does that make you feel?’ The emphasis is on being active with the students.”
Welcome to “In the Loop”, – the quarterly newsletter for Discovery Academy. We’re pleased to offer news and information to enhance your family’s DA experience. In the coming months you’ll see updates on programs, information about our staff, relationship helps and parenting tips from respected authors and speakers. We welcome your contributions as well. Please give us your feedback at editor@discoveryacademy.com
Discovery Academy students and guests celebrated the new Academic Center with open house and ribbon cutting celebrations in July.
The theme of the open house, “A New Era in Academic Excellence,” gave more than 60 Academy guests from throughout North America an opportunity to see first hand nine new classrooms, student computer stations, science lab and library facilities.
“In all, we have added more than 28,000 square feet of building to our campus, more than doubling the floor space we have had since 1989,” said Brent Hall, Executive Director.
Besides the academic areas, the new facility also includes a fine arts center, fitness center, cafeteria, and new dormitories for the girls’ program. Therapists’ offices and family counseling areas are also part of the new building.
The Academy acquired two adjacent lots and added a multi-use sport court, green space and landscaping features. The exterior of the free-standing home for 18-year-old students was remodeled as well.
“The process in the weeks prior to the open house was something like living ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,’” Brent recalls with a laugh. “Our staff, students and ownership group combined forces with the builder, landscaper, and furniture delivery man to get everything ready in time.”
State, county and city inspectors were frequently on-site; making certain the new building was safe and operational.
“As we saw this massive project come together this summer and as we have begun using the new facilities it has become evident how unique it is in our industry to be able to design a building around an existing program,” Brent notes. “We appreciate the many guests from the treatment industry that came and shared the day with us.”
For an on-line peek at the open house celebration, please visit http://66.236.72.102/VOD/OPENHOUSE.html
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While many students are heading back to the classroom this fall, Discovery Academy students are continuing their individualized learning plans on a school schedule that never stops.
“Shut down during the summer?” Headmaster Lee Jensen asks incredulously. “Therapeutics at Discovery Academy means academics are always part of the program.”
He explains, “We have a continuous school year. Every time a student enters our program, that’s the start of the school year for that student. We can only do that because we’re an individual program, individually paced.”
Lee says a semester system is class paced. “The class moves at the rate the teacher determines will allow them to go through the material in a specified period of time,” he explains. “Knowledge must be delivered in this time frame.”
For students who learn slower, or faster, than the class pace, the semester approach can become a detriment. If the information isn’t mastered, students run the risk of falling behind and then continuing to fall behind as the teacher presents the next set of skills. Advanced students can become bored or burn out while they wait for the class.
“In a semester program, the measurement of how well a student is doing is a letter grade at the quarter or semester break,” Lee continues. “Since the semester is class based, that grade is not a true indicator of the student’s ability – it’s the class’ ability. Given the right set of circumstances, the student could perform just as well or better than the class.”
He says Albert Einstein is a good example of that situation. “He got a D in math, but was one of the most brilliant mathematicians ever. Semesters are easy for the school and the teacher, but not so great for the student.”
“We’re an individually paced program. When students arrive, at whatever time of the year that is, we insert them in school at the point they were when they left their previous school.”
Then the question becomes how much time does the student need to acquire the knowledge that shows proficiency? “If they move at a pace that takes them longer to show mastery, they are given the time and resources, namely the teacher, to help them work through the content.”
“A student can’t just sit,” Lee explains. They must show academic improvement in order to advance their therapeutic level.
The student, faculty, and therapists determine a reasonable amount of information, or concepts, to pass off each month, and the student works toward that goal. The goal is adjusted depending on the student’s needs.
Lee says the individualized approach gives parents and teachers a true indicator of the student’s ability to master information.
“When the student reaches the point where they want to catch up, that’s a very positive thing,” he continues. “Now they’re taking control of their academic life. We offer them the opportunity to go ahead and do it. We can help them return to their regular school no longer behind. That’s a very positive, empowering thing for them.”
After years of planning and preparation, it was extremely gratifying to open our new Academic Center this summer.
It’s a beautiful facility that compliments our program on every point. As Executive Director, I felt proud to showcase this wonderful building to guests from throughout North America during our Open House July 29th. So many people worked so very hard to make it all come together for a celebration we’ll always remember.
And that brings me to the most important part of Discovery Academy – our people. As I explained to our guests that day, it’s wonderful to have such a fantastic building. But it’s our people and our program that make Discovery Academy truly unique.
Discovery is a process, not a one time event, and we work hard every day to provide experiential learning in our therapeutic, residential, and academic programs. We create a bridge for our students who are transitioning to the Academy from other programs, recognizing their prior accomplishments and building relationships based on respect for that work.
Many of our faculty members have been with Discovery Academy for more than ten years, an incredible tribute to their commitment to excellence in academics and our determination to provide our students with a first rate education.
Matt Hendry, our Clinical Director, helped design and implement our Internet based parent portal, which allows parents to be active members in the treatment team by providing weekly feedback on their student’s progress.
Our residential team works 24/7, side by side with our students, to extend their therapeutic progress through daily living activities and even shared experiential activities such as our ropes courses.
Our Honor Level program was developed by residential and therapeutic staff that are committed to the success of our students in the real world – before they even leave the Academy. It is virtually unheard of in the industry to provide such a dynamic continuum of care.
Yes, our building is beautiful. It is literally a dream come true. We are tremendously proud of it and invite all of you to come for a visit. But it is not the most spectacular part of our campus. The best part of Discovery Academy is the men and women who make our program work.
People, program, and facility. That’s what makes Discovery Academy the unparalleled leader in serving troubled youth.
We are honored to be serving you.
Discovery Academy | 105 North 500 West | Provo, UT 84601
801-374-2121
please email bennettg@redcliffascent.com