Located on 30 acres outside of Boise Idaho, Cherry Gulch Academy is a private, clinically oriented therapeutic boarding school for young men ages 14 to 18. If you are looking for a school for young men ages 10 to 14, our middle school, Cherry Gulch can help, click here. Our picturesque setting lends itself to our staff and students as we work together to provide early intervention and prevention for our students. Cherry Gulch Academy is dedicated to improving the lives of the young men we work with and their families. We believe in the power of inspiration, finding ones strengths, positive relationships, mentoring and goal setting. We are a strengths-based program who believes in building a relationship with our students and supporting their goals and dreams. Our purpose is to help our boys reach their goals. Families find what they have been desperately searching for from the staff, therapists and environment at Cherry Gulch Academy.
“We enroll families. This separates us from our competitors and illuminates our desire to not only work with the boy but also the family.”
~ Bernie Zimmerman of Cherry Gulch Academy & Cherry Gulch
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Qualification Criteria
Our Mission
At Cherry Gulch Academy, our mission is to rekindle our student’s curiosity about the world around them in a community environment that fosters a sense of teamwork, empathy, and awareness. Many of our students enter Cherry Gulch Academy with social challenges and learning differences that have led to a negative self-image, school avoidance and refusal. We believe all our students can learn the skills to be successful in the classroom and beyond. Our approach to academics is highly Individualized and combines a unique (engaging) presentation of curriculum and a collaborative approach.
Students at our therapeutic boarding school identify their strengths and uncover their natural talents within careers. This helps them make informed decisions about their future. Our academic internship program allows us to partner with the local community where boys learn skills and work in different fields of interest. After completing the necessary tasks for the day, including chores, hygiene, school, and therapy, the students are then able to participate in sports and activities.
Our approach is refreshingly different, instead of forcing the students to do what we want them to do; we join with each student to help them reach their goals and realize their potential through building their self-esteem and self-confidence.
Interventions for each young man include:
Highly Compassionate 1:6 Staff-to-Student Ratio in our Compass House; where students enrolled in our Communnity Immersion tract reside
Highly Compassionate 1:4 Staff-to-Student Ratio in our Foundations House; where students enrolled in our therapeutic tract reside, and benefit from line of sight supervision and intensive social coaching
Family Involvement in therapy and Family Workshops throughout the year
Wide Variety of Activities and Learning Experiences
Life Skills Such as Drivers Ed, Cooking and Cleaning
Fully Accredited Educational Program through Cognia, All Credits Earned are Fully Transferable
Medication Monitoring by a Licensed Psychiatrist
Career Assessmet, Digital Literacy and Character Development Classes
Individual, Group, and Family Psychotherapy and Experiential therapy with Master’s Level Therapists
Internships to Learn Skills and Work in Different Career Fields
Safe, Therapeutic, and Nurturing Learning Environment
Our students can join the local high school for sports and clubs
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