For at-risk youth in Alachua County, hope for a second chance starts at the Gainesville Wilderness Institute.
When juvenile offenders in the area begin the process of reintegrating into public schools, the Institute serves to bridge the gap and assist students in the uphill battle to improve their behavior, and in some cases, beat drugs.
According to a Gainesville Sun article, the institute was founded in 1991 and provides a four- to six-month program for 14-to-18-year-olds who need hands-on guidance in a heavily structured environment.
From a daily class schedule to rehabilitation classes addressing substance abuse, the Institute goes above and beyond the facets of a traditional school.
While at the Institute, students have the opportunity to be rewarded for their progress through different colored t-shirts. Specifically, as they get closer to graduating from the program, students are given shirts that correspond with the strides that they have made. But this school is no joke - students must maintain a strict dress code and cannot even go to the bathroom without having an escort.
The Editorial Board commends the efforts of the Gainesville Wilderness Institute for offering troubled students the chance to right their wrongs. Too often there is a cyclical nature to the behavior of teenagers that remains uncorrected due to a lack of resources and assistance.
Many young adults suffering from drug or behavioral problems eventually end up in prison if not for programs like the Institute.
Students may enter the program with a bleak outlook for the future, but with hard work and a helping hand, the Gainesville Wilderness Institute opens doors for even the most unruly of youth.
