Vacamas Alternative Education program, Vacamas Academy, is designed for 4th through 8th grade students who are having difficulty succeeding in the inner-city classroom. Since 1997, Vacamas Academy has served some of the highest-risk students in impoverished New Jersey school districts, helping them to make positive changes and work toward academic success.
Our rural environment is removed from the distractions of the city and more conducive to learning. Lessons are taught through hands-on experience instead of traditional classroom methods. Troubled young people receive individual attention to help them adapt and improve, and we also provide any additional support services needed to help them achieve academic success. Vacamas provides qualified and talented instructors in a 10:1 student to teacher ratio.
Students are transported daily to Camp Vacamas, our 230-acre rural campus in West Milford, NJ, where they participate in small group instruction, challenges and activities designed to teach:
- Life skills
- Communication and listening
- Problem-solving
- Socialization
- Teamwork
- Physical education
- Fine arts
- Nature and earth science lessons
- Multicultural awareness
- Leadership development
- Outdoor skills and recreation
Our goals for our Vacamas Academy students include:
- Facilitating experiences that empower at-risk youth to recognize their own self-worth
- Motivating participants to make positive changes in their lives
- Caring for them in a nurturing environment that engenders self and group exploration