Seeking out an alternative therapeutic boarding school for troubled boys in Des Plaines, Illinois? Perhaps you will consider Heartland Boys Academy, a low-cost Christian boarding school in Western Kentucky. Heartland is an adventure-based therapeutic boarding school known for its devotion to adolescent boys who have gotten off track academically, emotionally, legally, or socially.

Heartland Boys Academy enrolls underperforming boys from across the U.S., including from Des Plaines, Illinois. It is an evangelical boarding school that uses adventure as a powerful therapeutic method for turning around troubled boys. We are an alternative school with a mission to lead wayward boys to realize their specific purpose, or destiny, in Christ.

Heartland exclusively works with troubled or struggling boys. Parents of these boys find it valuable for their boy to spend time in a new environment here at Heartland that is separate from negative influences back home in Des Plaines, Illinois. We demonstrate love and respect to disrespectful and unruly boys who are in need of a better life perspective including a foundational spiritual focus in life. Our mentoring and encouragement brings about transformation where there was once only ungodly motivations and an impasse in the relationship with their parents.

Accredited School for Teens from Des Plaines, Illinois

To provide a quality education is also our top priority. Heartland Boys Academy is a fully accredited high school that uses a model of independent study with personalized instruction. Students complete courses at their own pace, with weekly goals established by instructors based on the student’s chosen course work. Heartland also encourages students to prepare for post-secondary goals by helping them prep for college testing.

Students from Des Plaines, Illinois, who attend Heartland achieve quick progress towards successful high school completion and beyond. Our partnership with Edgenuity facilitates an educational environment that spurs a desire to succeed, which gains momentum and encourages students to do their best. Edgenuity is certified by COGNIA, the highest accrediting body for schools in America.

While the Edgenuity program is intuitive and self-paced, our own certified on-campus teachers make sure that the boys keep up their coursework. They tutor, answer any questions, and give each student plenty of encouragement. Our teachers are kept informed online how well each student is progressing. Students who fail to keep up or are having difficulty with a certain topic are helped, but if they are failing as an act of rebellion, they may jeopardize some on-campus privileges like special outings until they choose to get caught up.

Heartland Spiritual Focus

Spiritual life is the cornerstone aspect of Heartland Boys Academy. We believe that ultimately Jesus Christ is the only answer for troubled youth from Des Plaines, Illinois. We are committed to introducing every boy to a relationship with their Maker. We lead them toward their spiritual gifting and purpose in Christ.

Many teens who come have rebelled against their religious heritage or have never professed faith in Christ. Heartland offers an open environment for them to renew or gain their faith, perhaps for the first time. Godly character permeates everything we do at Heartland Boys Academy.

Where Teens from Des Plaines, Illinois, Can Gain Leadership Training

Beyond helping capable students get back on track academically and spiritually, we provide specific leadership training to unleash the potential in each teenager. We teach teens to serve and love other people. Mission trips and community service events offer real life experience and application of the leadership principles demonstrated at Heartland.

Replacing the Negative with a Positive Peer Culture

Heartland recognizes that teenagers and their families in Des Plaines, Illinois, face huge challenges from the culture. Teens are surrounded by a barrage of negative peer pressure. The Heartland plan for change is called Positive Peer Culture (PPC), which asserts that teens can learn self-worth, significance, dignity, and responsibility only as they devote themselves to the positive values of helping and caring for others.

Adventure Therapy is Paramount

Adventure therapy is a key therapeutic feature of Heartland. We find that boys are more open to discussion and learning while enjoying adventure tasks, so we use those times to instill better thinking and to improve their communication skills. It also facilitates improvement in their ability to work cooperatively with others.

Adventure therapy is a type of experiential therapy that uses challenging adventure activities to aid the therapeutic healing process. It is meant to contribute to character maturation. Every boy takes part in our adventure program because of the valuable life skills that can be gained. We offer a number of adventure activities including camping, backpacking, rappelling, canoeing, swimming, hiking, hunting, and spelunking (cave exploration).

At a therapeutic school like Heartland, students are allowed to engage in various activities and new adventure experiences during their stay. Adventure therapy used at Heartland are where boys learn to listen, learn regulation skills, and push themselves to overcome challenging fun tasks. The challenges students face through our adventure programming are meant to forge a more positive identity, build character, and create a sense of accomplishment. Students do not just participate in the activity; they reach for a goal and accomplish it. This is called experiential learning.

Our team are trained to facilitate the adventure program in a safe and effective way. The same guides who live with students all week, building rapport and making connections, are then able to mentor students during their adventure activities.

Heartland Boys Academy is a campus teeming with healing and hope for boys in Des Plaines, Illinois. We have seen many at-risk and troubled boys transformed into hard-working, respectable young men. We help restore boys to their families; healthy, confident, and spiritually and academically on track. Call (888)300-2830 to learn more today, or fill in our online inquiry form.

Please think about looking outside of Des Plaines, Illinois to learn how our Christ-centered adventure-based therapeutic boarding school program can lead your struggling boy toward life transformation. To discover more, please call or inquire online today.