Columbus Girls Academy is a year-round Christian therapeutic boarding school for teenage girls struggling with life-controlling problems — one of the finest such programs in the nation.
CGA offers a disciplined and structured therapeutic environment that emphasizes character development, spiritual growth, and personal responsibility. The non-profit therapeutic program for girls is designed to develop the girl in four main areas: spiritual, social, academic, and physical. Therapy involves an interpretation or identification of why the inappropriate behaviors are occurring and then contextualizes these reasons as a function of what erroneous assumptions are in place regarding meeting basic needs.
Each Student is specially assigned to the caseload of an on-site Counselor. Along with individual and group counseling, this Counselor is also responsible for ensuring smooth delivery of all of CGA’s services to the student and family. The counselor is the point of contact for the family, available to answer questions and update the students’ progress.
Group counseling occurs regularly, guided by the pastoral counselors on CGA staff. This time is utilized to allow students an opportunity to grapple with and resolve commonly faced issues. Students learn to constructively express their thoughts, ideas, and questions in an environment where each member is accepted and respected. Group counseling is not utilized to scrutinize individual members or glorify past poor decisions. Students enter the Columbus Girls Academy program exhibiting emotional issues and inappropriate behaviors such as:
- Low Self-Esteem
- Rebellion/Anger/Defiance
- Deceitfulness/Cheating/Theft Manipulation
- Promiscuity
- Low Motivation
- Drug experimentation/Alcoholism/Prescription drug abuse
- Self-harm
EDUCATION
Our educational program features our own in-class teachers, and coursework is facilitated through Edgenuity Virtual Academy. It allows CGA students to achieve phenomenal progress towards high school completion and beyond. Edgeniuty offers initial credit courses, honors, and Advanced Placement courses, credit recovery, intervention, and test readiness.
Edgenuity Virtual Academy is a leading provider of online curriculum and instructional services. It is in use by more than 20,000 schools, including 20 of the 25 largest school districts, to meet academic goals and improve student outcomes.
Edgenuity Virtual Academy is accredited through Cognia (formerly AdvancED) and the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and as such has nationally recognized accreditation. This is the same accreditation awarded to public schools and is fully recognized by high schools and colleges across the country. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has also approved the Edgenuity instructional model and curriculum for online instruction of student-athletes.
While the Edgenuity program is intuitive and self-paced, our own certified classroom teachers make sure that our students keep up their coursework, offer tutoring, answer any questions, and give each student plenty of encouragement. Our teachers and parents as well are able to see at a glance how well each student is doing, through the online Edgenuity portal. Students who fail to keep up or are having difficulty with a certain topic are specifically helped, but if they are just dragging their feet out of rebellion, they may lose out on some privileges like outings and fun times until they choose to get caught up.
Our teachers and counselors also lead our own faith-based character-building training courses with the girls, which are a key aspect of our overall program. We utilize landmark books by today’s leading evangelical Christian authors to teach key concepts, and of course, the girls are immersed in daily biblical instruction. Christian speakers and musicians regularly come to our campus to provide spiritual instruction, encouragement, and motivation, and the girls are taken to off-campus spiritual events.
Increasing Student Engagement, Progress, and Achievement
Keeping students engaged in what they’re learning is vital to ensuring they master standards so they can move forward in their education
Edgenuity is an online classroom program that is especially helpful for students who are failing or have fallen behind in their studies. It meets the rigor of Common Core and state standards, as well as various state’s graduation requirements. Our online courses and curriculum are grounded in research and are aligned to state standards. Columbus Girls Academy is a registered non-public school with the State of Alabama Department of Education. They use the award-winning Switched on Schoolhouse (SOS) Christian education curriculum, supplemented by on-staff teachers. SOS offers five core school subjects and various electives, enhanced by exciting multimedia. Columbus Girls Academy accommodates the educational level and abilities of your child. Teachers have the ability to customize lessons to meet each student’s individual learning needs.
CGA applies various types of resources to advance our students to academic excellence. This includes Reading Plus tools, which have been shown to improve a high school student’s reading level. 95 % of our graduates attain university reading level with a dramatic improvement in their comprehension abilities.
Activities
A 200-acre lakeside campus is a special place where students and families experience peace and tranquility as they work through the process of changing their motivations in life and restoring relationships. The property includes a 35-acre lake for fishing, canoeing, paddle boats, hiking trails, tennis and basketball courts, softball field, swimming pool, and volleyball court.
Participation in all activities is required and completed as a group, supervised by staff members. Students are challenged daily in relationships as they interact with staff and peers. The environment balances discipline with personal responsibility to create a positive peer culture. Columbus Girls Academy’s goal is to nurture students who make positive decisions that are not based on mandatory compliance but rather where positive choices are made due to genuine concern for themselves and others.
Physical Education – As a regular part of the daily schedule, students can participate in calisthenics, practice drills, and sports (i.e., tennis, basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, aerobics, swimming). CGA school credit is earned for each student’s participation in Physical Education.
The Arts – Choir and Drama Teams rehearse and perform at local churches, events, and on-campus ceremonies. Under the direction of skilled CGA staff, students can continue to grow and excel in their God-given talents.
Special Outings – We want our students to understand that, contrary to popular belief among teens today, one can live a life that honors God and have fun at the same time. To demonstrate this, CGA staff go above and beyond to “create wow experiences” for our students; fun is allowed! CGA students attend several youth conferences, concerts, and events throughout the year.
Recreation – There are many facilities and opportunities for recreation on our campus. The students enjoy the beautiful 35-acre lake with paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, and fishing poles. Students enjoy the sport swimming pool with welcomed refreshments and fun during the summer months. On rainy days our students enjoy recreational time indoors in our student lounge or spacious lodge. Students also enjoy special events for our students on campus, such as field days, obstacle courses, team building activities, and talent shows.
Columbus Girl’s Academy
14 Motts Dr. Seale, AL 36875
PHONE: (334) 855-3695
WEBSITE: ChristianSchoolforGirls.com
Effective, Affordable Help for Troubled Adolescents
