Summer’s here and graduating residents of the Portage Academy at Cassidy Lake are looking ahead to a sober, productive life. Youth at the Cassidy Lake Rehabilitation Centre in New Brunswick attend class four hours a day. Portage firmly believes that schooling makes for better social reintegration.
School
programs at the Portage Academy are provided by local school boards, and are
bilingual to best meet the needs of both Anglophone and Francophone students. The
classes are small so that everyone can learn at their own rhythm. Residents
receive the help and encouragement they need to rediscover their academic
abilities and even go on to postsecondary studies.
As the school year nears its end, residents at the Cassidy Lake Centre are getting ready to graduate. This year, eight students will be going back to their previous school to receive their diploma. Two former students of the Academy who completed their program last September have gone back to school and been awarded an outstanding achievement award. Another student has received his GED certificate and will be entering the job market.
School
never stops at Portage and several students will continue attending classes until
they graduate in the fall. A teacher at the Centre said he was extremely proud
of the students and very excited to see them continue on the path to academic
or professional success.
Since 2007,
seven scholarships have been awarded every year to students of the Portage
Atlantic Academy. The scholarships can be as much as $4,000 per youth. They are
awarded above all to youth who are steadfast in their determination to remain
sober and complete their studies.
Sherry
I love your approach of including academic work. I know several students who did well that way. Yours is even harder when you go back to the same school you came from. I hope you support kids , especially the year after they return. Knowing Portage for many years I think you probably do.
Portage
Yes, Portage has an aftercare program lasting 2 years. Getting back in the community is a challenge. With the competencies youth learn at Portage during treatment, they have the tools to deal with everyday challenges, but as we like to say about addiction rehabilitation: “Only you can do it, but you can’t do it alone”. The community is there to help and so is our staff!