Northwoods Idaho

Northwoods is a boarding school located in Northern Idaho. Established in in 1993^[1], the residential treatment program for adolescent males has expanded from a single site in Bonners Ferry, Idaho to include a farm near Sandpoint, Idaho and a lodge in Costa Rica.

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History

Campus

Northwoods operates three separate locations:

• Northwoods Sagle Farm, a ten-acre site south of Sandpoint, Idaho. New students generally begin at this site. One house serves up to eight young men, ages 13-17; a second house is available for 18-year old students.
• Northwoods Costa Rica, a 95-acre site near La Tigra, San Carlos Canton. Northwoods has a lodge and a cabaña with a total of eight bedrooms on the site and students also live with local families. Students spend four months of their stay with Northwoods in Costa Rica.^[2]
• Northwoods Bonners Ferry, where students in the program's transition phase are enrolled in the local school. One house serves up to six young men, ages 13-17; a second house is available for 18-year old students.
• Host Families, where boys with separate needs can work on their problems in a different, more relaxed, environment

Curriculum

Accredited academic choices are available to students through the Calvert School for students enrolled in Junior High, Keystone and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Independent Study High School for Independent Study High School courses. Students at Bonners Ferry may attend the local high school.^[3]

Extracurricular activities

Students may participate in evening classes and programs in the community. Activities are offered as available and have included fitness center membership, sailing in the summer, golfing, fishing, driver's education, guitar lessons, pilot ground school, and downhill skiing and snowboarding. Seasonal travel study expeditions are also available. Students enrolled in the public school have the option of choosing to participate in the extracurricular activities programs provided there, of which include football, soccer, basketball, Academic Decathlon, and various other groups and clubs.

Northwoods Sagle Farm

Located on ten rural acres in the Sagle district of Sandpoint, Idaho, the Sagle farm is where the majority of students begin their stay. They begin with a personalized education plan where the students individual needs can be addressed effectively. Junior High Students are enrolled in Calvert Independent Study, whereas the High School Students can either be enrolled in Keystone Independent Study, or, for the kids who desire more of an academic challenge, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Independent Study courses are offered. Daily chores are shared, ranging from kitchen duty and individualized cooking nights to tending to either the barn or house animals. The Sagle Farm currently contains 3 llamas, 1 donkey, 1 sheep, 1 horse, 1 house dog, and 2 house cats. Winter activities include skiing, snowboarding, and hiking. Summer activities include overnight camping trips, sailing, hikes, biking trips, and kyaking.

Northwoods at Bonners Ferry

Positioned at the very top of Apple Alley, the Bonners Ferry House was the original Northwoods home. The boys living there are in the transition phase of their stay. Currently, all of the students attend one of the two available public schools, Bonners Ferry High School, or the available alternative school, Riverside High School. Students in Bonners Ferry have acces to various school/city-provided activities. Currently, after-school activities include soccer, football, Academic Decathlon, Iron Mike's Gym, and attending school home games.

All Academics in Bonners Ferry are monitored by progress reports signed by the individual teachers. Academic performance and classroom behavior are monitored. Reintroduction to a main-stream setting is a major motivational factor for the students.

References

A former Northwoods student