The Goodale School and Recovery Community is a Cognia-accredited, non-profit therapeutic boarding school for 14- to 17-year old boys with substance use and co-occurring disorders. In one on-site, teacher-led classroom, Ms. Allison Hughes implements innovative programs to inspire and motivate students in her science class. Her creative course content encourages increased engagement and learning.

Ms. Allison, as she is referred to by her students, describes some of their latest projects. “In Biology, we recently made our own kombucha and have been studying its cells under the microscope,” she explains. “In Physics, we’re learning about convection and exploring heat and energy through baking cookies. We also recently took a field trip to our neighboring French Broad Chocolate Lounge to find out how  chocolate is made  and then conducted a candy density experiment!”

Hughes holds a Bachelors of Outdoor Education and a Masters of Interdisciplinary Studies with years of teaching experience predominately in the mental health field. “I am passionate about the outdoors, team building, and experiential learning. I lived and taught abroad in Brazil which accounts for my deep-rooted love for diversity and community. I love getting to apply my experience here with the students at Goodale,” says Hughes.

 About the Goodale School

The Goodale School is named in honor of Bob Goodale, a member of their Board of Directors and a passionate advocate for substance use disorder and recovery services in North Carolina. Goodale, a dedicated and visionary leader, has served non-profit organizations in communities across the United States and has been recognized for his lifelong commitment to the recovery community. The Goodale School is affiliated with Monarch, a leading statewide provider of services to thousands of people with mental illness, substance use disorders and intellectual and developmental disabilities in North Carolina. Monarch is a non-profit organization and is nationally accredited by The Joint Commission.