ThorpeWood
WISH LIST: $100: a healthy meal for 12 hungry students who may not receive proper nutrition; $500: art supplies for 20 adjudicated girls; $1000: building materials for a full year to help boys learn teamwork skills
ThorpeWood is nestled in a secluded stream valley 1,500 feet above sea level in the dense forest of the Appalachian Mountains. Once an environmental learning center, it now focuses on academic and personal development programs for 85 at-risk youth--adjudicated teenage girls who need the skills necessary to address histories of abuse, neglect, trauma, poor choices, and chemical dependency; some of Frederick County’s least successful teenage boys who need vocational training and intense mentoring; and high-ability but low-achieving middle school students who need a chance to explore their potential by working on large scale research projects with subject matter experts from the community. Thorpewood makes a long-term (two to four year) commitment to its partners, working with youngsters in small groups of 10-12 and with curricula that are customized to meet the students’ academic, personal, and social growth needs. And the results are impressive. Juvenile girls are 75% less frequently re-arrested, placed in out-of-home care, and in violation of the terms of their probation than their DJS-supervised peers who are not in the program. Boys in one program work side by side with their principal and vice-principal, forging relationships that bear fruit in their personal and academic lives. Caring, focused, long-term, customized care for the needs of a deserving groups of youngsters; that's what it's all about.
 |
 |
    |
|
Theresa Michel Co-Director |
|
 |
|
