Travel and Outreach
One of our greatest joys during the year is taking many of the boys on mission trips, trips to speak about drug abuse to high schools, or trips to enjoy nature or our nation's heritage. Included in the photos above are some of those outreaches. The boys are the ones who learn so much from these trips, even if the goal is to help an orphanage in Guatemala. One of our students, Nolan, reported his experience and how it affected him...
"Guatemala opened my eyes to a world that seemed forgotten. I was slapped in the face by the firm hand of reality. The one thing I saw least was hope. But God used our whole team to bring hope and joy to the kids at the orphanage.
I realized how selfish and ungrateful we can be -- how small our problems are to the rest of the world. O saw how spoiled rotten America is. When I got back to the states I was disgusted by all the senseless junk we have in our homes and stores. hearing people gripe about petty things made my stomach churn.
My experience in Guatemala was the final tool God used to change my outlook on life."
Twice annually, small groups of students from our school travel to a large and well-established children's home in Guatemala. Often today's youth feel a sense of "entitlement" to all of the best life in America has to offer them materially. Boys get a first-hand look at poverty and hunger; having opportunity on these excursions to help meet the needs for those in crisis.
Annual "tours" are taken to events in other states. Some of the tours past have included our nation's Capital, San Diego, California, Alaska and Chicago, Illinois. On these tours, students will do work projects, visit children's homes, Teen Challenge centers, homeless shelters, and in the case of Alaska~ go fishing! The team travels with staff members and sometimes their parents. What a great experience to have fished in Valdez with Dad!
We Learn Better by Teaching
As students succeed in the program, they are given the opportunity to become part of the drama travel teams and Stay Sharp school ministry team. Stay Sharp teams travel to public and private schools to present drug awareness programs. Recently our Stay Sharp team spoke to an audience of more than 3000 students in Oak Park River Forest High School in Chicago.
Admissions
At Gateway, new students, age 11-17, are admitted year-round. We are an all-male program.
Our enrollment process begins with an interview between our Intake Coordinator and the parent/guardian to ensure that the prospective student is a candidate for our program. After the interview an introductory email will be sent to the parent that includes an application for admission and a supply list that details the items that must accompany a student into our program. The potential student must have a physical and required blood work completed by a physician before enrollment into our academy. Once all the admission requirements are met, an appointment may be made for enrollment.
We will not enroll boys who have:
• A serious mental illness that is not manageable without regular psychiatric visits
• Demonstrated same-sex predatory behaviors
• Significant developmental delay
• Pronounced suicidal thoughts or attempts
• Been involved in arson or have extremely violent tendencies
• Have a significant health condition, physical impairment, or illness requiring ongoing care or special equipment.
The process of admissions begins with the submission of the following three documents, at no cost or obligation to the parent.
- Biographical sketch – Parents are asked to write in friendly email form a history of their son’s life from early childhood to the present, listing major events in his life which have impacted his behavior.
- Unofficial school transcripts – Parents simply call their son’s school and request that an unofficial transcript be faxed to our school, including recent state standardized test scores. This will validate that he is able to read independently. Our school does not service non-readers.
- Sports physical – There is a checklist of medical history that takes 4-5 minutes to complete. Because exercise is a regular part of Gateway Boys Academy, it is necessary for us to ensure a student is physically fit enough to participate in the regimen of regular exercise.
A full student application and placement agreement are available online.
A Florida Sports Physical form (www.FHSAA.org) EL-2 must be completed in a physician’s office (no matter which state the student is from). A series of blood tests are required as listed on the front letter of the student application. The full metabolic panel blood test results must be seen by the resident RN prior to enrollment.
Physical exercise requires that students are not under the influence or physically affected in any way by psychotropic drugs prescribed by psychologists and psychiatrists for ADD, ADHD, bipolar or other diagnoses. These drugs can alter cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure. Most of our students previously have utilized these drugs, but their prescribing physicians wrote a release for either discontinuance or the weaning off of the drug.
Parents are required to attend a time of parent orientation on the day of admission. A Parent Handbook is reviewed and given to the parent along with our Boundaries curriculum for parenting sessions that take place throughout the year during the parent visitation times.
Funding Solutions
Church or Civic Organization
Sometimes the church or civic organization that a parent belongs to will assist with treatment costs. Discussing your situation with the Pastor of your church or President of your group may lead to financial assistance.
Insurance
Typically, insurance does not pay for residential treatment. However, it may depend on your personal benefit package and it does not hurt to ask. Sometimes part of the stay or the counseling portion is covered. Please contact your insurance company so that they can make a determination.
