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New Perspectives - Jun,
1998 Issue #52
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SOJOURN INTERNATIONAL
By: Geoffrey T. Robbins, Director
China, Maine
800-468-5765
http://www.pivot.net/~sojourn
INN-HOUSE DIRECTED STUDIES: Sometimes a student needs to finish a course
or a semester, but can’t do this at their former school. At other times a student needs to pick up a course during the summer, but
not take a full summer school load. It is not unheard of that a student may want to take a course to fill in some gaps “just for the
fun of it.” S.I.’s new Inn-House Directed Studies program is designed to respond to these and other situations. Frequently, students
come to us from one of the wilderness/behavior modification programs. They have been pulled out of whatever school they were attending
and have spent anywhere from 3 to 15 weeks away from the classroom. Obviously, they have missed as great deal of school and would
most likely have to repeat the semester or the year. In addition, parents and educational advisors feel that returning to home and
old community would be risky, as they are still fragile coming out of the program.
Sojourn International is a ‘safe’ place and I.H.D.S. is the way to catch
up on schoolwork so the student can get back into the main stream at their new school the next semester. Using programs from the University
of Nebraska – Lincoln, Oak Meadow School and a number of other fully accredited ‘Home School’ programs, we are able to provide individually
tailored, fully supervised and accredited Junior High and High School course work. We have tutors and supervisors who are extremely
knowledgeable in all the Jr. high and high school disciplines. Each student has a supervisor/tutor who meets with them for two hours
each weekday and helps them with assignments and with the completion of forms and requirements of the program. They also become confidants
and counselors to help with the transition anxieties. The length of the program depends on the student’s needs. Courses can be completed
in as little as five weeks, although eight weeks is a more typical length. Four to five courses can generally be carried comfortably.
We have access to the University of Maine and Colby College Libraries, as
well as full access to the vast resources of the Internet. We work closely with parents, educational consultants, former schools,
future schools, counselors, and any persons who are truly committed to these students. This program is intended to respond to the
specialized academic and living needs of students who are motivated to succeed. We see I.H.D.S. as a supplement to, not replacement
of traditional programs. It may, in fact, allow a student to return to a ‘Main ‘Stream’ program more quickly and with less disruption
than otherwise possible. That is our objective!
Copyright © 1998, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced
without prior approval if the copyright notice and proper publication and author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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