For A Better Future

“It’s 7:10 a.m., and the three dozen young men are here because, while they have repeatedly broken laws, a judge has given them one last chance. If they get in trouble again, they could wind up in standard juvenile detention, jail or even prison.” That is why programs for troubled teens are so valuable. Because sometimes the right program can stop teens at risk from landing themselves in brat camps or juvie. The Space Coast Marine Institute, opened in 1988, is part of The Associated Marine Institutes Inc., which operates 58 facilities in eight states. They have a core philosophy of education and discipline, combined with emotional support like what “a successful family provides.”

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“We teach them how to be gentlemen,” Richards said. […] Residents are tracked for three years after they leave and 70 percent of the young men have no more run-ins with law enforcement, the institute said. That compares with 24 percent of youth who served their time in a regular juvenile facility. (source) “…Education and discipline, combined with emotional support” is a synopsis of the huge tasks undertaken by schools for troubled teens. It can make all of the difference in the world if teens headed down the wrong path take a detour into such an institution. They are able to keep pace with their academics in addition to resolving the emotional issues that have triggered their problems. Not only can teens heal, they can start charting a course for a future they otherwise might never have had. By Ann Walker