Venture Academy, a private school in British Columbia, has been helping high-risk adolescents from across Canada to manage their psychological needs and overcome their dependencies since 2001. The youth, 13 to 18 years of age, come from middle-class families where parents are at their wit’s end. They can no longer maintain relationships with their children, whose…
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Several hundred participants battled the elements today in West Kelowna for the Mudd, Sweat and Tears obstacle course. The six or 12k obstacle course mud run was set at Crystal Mountain and promised participants a chance to reconnect with nature, climb heartbreaking slopes, be covered in tons of mud, climb obstacles and push their limits. One…
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When families call to see if Venture Academy can help their troubled youth, they always want to tell their story and it’s always a story of desperation, says the executive director. Many have tried all kinds of other treatment programs to no avail. He launched Venture Academy 13 years ago after recognizing a tremendous need…
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TORONTO — Media outlets around the world have been captivated by Canadian pop star Justin Bieber’s latest tussle with the law, but a much wider audience finds itself engrossed by the singer’s struggles with himself. Bieber’s increasingly erratic public behaviour, escalating bouts of temper and brazen use of both legal and illegal substances are an…
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After 12 years of keeping a low profile in Kelowna, the Venture Academy residential program for struggling teens spoke up this month. “We’ve helped thousands of families at our Kelowna location, and we just want the community to know about the good work that we are doing and that the academy is a big economic…
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The man, whose name can’t be published because it would identify his 14-year-old daughter, said she is making progress at Venture Academy in Barrie, but the province won’t help with the fee … because he didn’t follow its guidelines to get funding for out-of-province treatment.
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It’s not always easy raising kids. I thought the first couple of years were tough. Then my wonderful children developed into teenagers. Let the games begin! Well the games began. As a parent who thought he was in control as well as in touch with his children, I was fooled. Our day-to-day lives are comparatively…
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Four years ago, Laurianne McCarville and her husband were beyond frustrated. Their son, Steven, who had a learning disability, was floundering in Grade 9. His grades had dropped, he was defiant and angry, and he was getting into trouble.
The McCarvilles were terrified of what might happen if their son continued on that path. So Ms. McCarville went on the Internet, typing in searches for “son who won’t listen,” desperate to find any information that might help……
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There are many educators who believe that children with special needs deserve options. When the regular school curriculum fails them – or it doesn’t take them to their full potential – there is a growing number of private schools with programs specifically designed to help fill the gaps. These schools offer something far removed from…
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A hot water tank was leaking natural gas that ignited in the basement about 9:30 a.m. while students were in class upstairs at Venture Academy. Staff evacuated nine boys, ages 13 to 18, and took them to a park as the alarm rang. “I had all the boys with me,” said Connie Buckle, the school’s…
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