Founded in 1946, The Phelps School is a boarding school designed for boys who need "extra personal attention." Many of the Phelps School's boys struggle with decision making, organization and time management. It is a small school with a student body of 150, which includes both boarding and day students in grades 7 through 12. Located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, 22 miles west of Philadelphia, its mission is to provide a climate that will help its student gain self-confidence and acquire respect for others. The Phelps curriculum focuses on reading, math, science and English fundamentals, as well as study skills and habits. It boasts a diverse student population represented by boys from a variety of states and countries.
The Bald Eagle Boys Camps employs a wilderness setting to help boys repair behavioral, emotion and spiritual issues in a non-punitive atmosphere. The 520-acre camp is located in central Pennsylvania, six miles west of Lock Haven. It features an office, a dining hall, a warehouse and staff housing. The campers and counselors live in tent cabins that they build themselves. The typical camper is enrolled because of antagonistic behavior toward adults. The camp accepts boys from nine to 16 years old. The campers and their parents are involved in the decision to take part the Therapeutic Camping Program. The enrollment period is 18 months and graduation is predicated on successful achievement of each camper's treatment goals.
Pressley Ridge is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help troubled students find a place in society. It offers programs in Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania, where its headquarters are based in Pittsburgh. Pressley Ridge's day school is found on its Marshall Avenue campus on Pittsburgh's North side. It also features a school for the deaf and a school for autism. It began as a refuge for orphans, but has developed into a leader in the treatment of troubled children. The students who come to Pressley Ridge have serious emotional and behavioral problems. Educationally, the school strives to provide short-term services to help students adjust to their environment and facilitate a return to public school. It accepts both male and female students.
The Academy School's motto is "Our job is to catch a kid doing something right." It was founded in 1982 in Pittsburgh as an alternative to the institutionalization of court-adjudicated male and female youth. The Academy's education programs provide instruction in academic subjects and industrial trade skills. It has also has athletic programs, as well as counseling in group and one-on-one settings. The programs run from 3 to 9 p.m. Students are picked up and returned to their homes or schools by the academy's vehicles. It has campuses in Pittsburgh, Herman and South Park. In 1994, the Academy was honored by the Pennsylvania JCJC (Juvenile Court Judges Commission) with the Community-Based Program of the Year award.