Passages Alaska’s Skookum House Adventure High School Has Standardized Curriculum

Skookum House High School, for adolescent males who need therapeutic assistance, has joined with their school district’s virtual program. Thorne Bay’s school district has agreed to allow Skookum House students to join their virtual homeschool program. AK-Trails Correspondence/ Homeschool Program fits the idea of having an adventure high school with electives that include Kayaking, Fishing, Kayak Repair, Ceramics and Music. The program itself allows for Academic Freedom with self paced lessons, Special Education Support with extra teacher support when needed. It also allows for the boys to participate in Baseball, Volleyball, Wrestling, Cross Country and many more extracurricular activities
The boys will be living together lodge style with house parents. They will have house chores and evening meetings being taught the life skills of cooking, laundry and cleaning. Starting Passages Alaska with a designated time to learn the Alaska and Passages way, students then have their own adventures with Passages Field Guides in the afternoons when not doing academic classes. Weekends are made for trips to learn more about Southeast Alaska.
Skookum house which is located on Prince of Wales Island is just a 2 hour flight from Seattle and since it sits in the same Olympic Range is consistently mild throughout the winter with temperatures rarely dropping below 35 degrees during the winter. Also due to its Southeast Alaska location, there are between 6.5 to 7 hours of daylight on the shortest day of the year. The combination of Alaska’s majesty and adventure combine for an amazing academic opportunity.
Skookum House is an adventure high school with educational support designed to keep students engaged, active, and progressing toward graduation. Skookum House is for high school boys who have not been able to thrive at home or in a virtual school environment. Students may choose to use their home high school platform or another virtual platform. While living at SH, students will benefit from a more normalized social life, participate in outdoor Alaskan adventures while learning unique, confidence-building skills, and gain a respect for serving others.
Passages Alaska is a unique wilderness program in Southeast Alaska serving adolescent males and young adults aged 18-28 in gender specific groups. As participants come into the Alaskan Wilderness, the coastal waters offer a fresh perspective and a new path. Hands-on therapeutic interventions include paddling, whale watching, fishing, primitive skill building and service to others. Extensive therapy and coaching is built in for those with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and failure to thrive.