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The populations served: |
The populations served in the Village focus on youth whose behavior problems can be successfully addressed in a family-style treatment setting. Youth who are acutely dangerous to themselves or others, including actively suicidal youth or youth with psychotic-like behavior, would require treatment in a more secure environment.
Home Visits
Boys Town is not a boarding school. It is a treatment facility. So, there are no automatic vacations. There are therapeutic home visits which are helpful for treatment purposes.
Religious and Spiritual Development
Boys Town is nonsectarian and nonproselytizing. At the same time, research show that "getting in touch with a Higher Power" is a prerequisite for youth to be successful after they leave Boys Town.
Father Flanagan said: "Every boy must learn to pray. How he prays is up to him." Each child is strongly encouraged to receive spiritual and religious instruction as part of his or her daily life here. Regular church attendance, community service, and traditional spiritual and religious observances are routine portions of our residential program.
Individualized Care
Each youth who comes to Boys Town has their own set of strengths as well as serious problems. Individualized treatment goals are developed for each youth during the first few weeks of placement. Youth are active members of the treatment team, together with parents, guardians, and other professionals. As much as possible, Family-Teachers work closely with parents and guardians to keep them involved and informed about a youth’s progress as family reunification is vigorously pursued.
Youth Empowerment
To help youth get better, we use a behavioral teaching model. It is neither a punishment model nor a standard counseling model. Our goal is not to frustrate youth, but rather to help them learn to get their needs met in pro-social ways. This requires a low tolerance for inappropriate behaviors coupled with high warmth and praise for appropriate behaviors. Ours is a self-help model. It is not a control model. It is a youth empowerment model. And it works! Formal research indicates that over 90% of our students graduate from high school. Former residents go on to become working and contributing adults for their families and communities.
Educational Services
Boys Town operates two schools in the Village: Boys Town High School and Wegner Grade School. Both schools are fully accredited by the Nebraska Department of Education and the North Central Association. This accreditation includes meeting all guidelines for special education under IDEA. Teacher-to-student ratios average 1:10 and classroom size averages 10-12 students.
Many students coming to live at Boys Town are four to five years behind in reading. The Boys Town Reading Center has developed a specialized curriculum that, on average, yields two years of reading gains for each year of instruction. Our schools are built around the foundation of helping youth gain academic success.
Co-curricular Activities
Boys Town offers a wide range of opportunities for students outside the classroom. These activities are a vital component of our treatment environment. They include
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Athletics programs also provide character development through an established curriculum called COMPETING WITH CHARACTER. Student athletes receive character training and have multiple opportunities to exhibit and practice skills they've learned in their regular instruction. Our coaches are expected to be leaders of high character and to role model positive skills and behavior to our student athletes at all times. As a result of this emphasis on character development, the Nebraska State Basketball Tournament has recognized Boys Town sports teams and fans for exhibiting the best sportsmanship two years in a row.
Athletics and other co-curricular activities are another way to teach life skills, values, and ethics to our students.
