ALA Program Descriptions

Abundant Life Academy is best known as a Christian Leadership Academy; serving "formerly" good kids who are now off track, making poor decisions, and in need of immediate redirection.  Additionally, ALA has a tremendous academic program to go along with our powerful Christ-centered leadership/discipleship program.  More importantly, we have recognized that all kids are different, especially when it comes to the depth of their rebellion.  The fact is that some kids have gone further down the road of rebelliousness, and therefore have different needs.  Abundant Life Academy offers two different programs to meet the specific needs of our students.  Our "Base Leadership Program" is a 9 to 12 month program (described in detail below) and has proven to be very successful over the years.  Our newest program, known as the Early-early Intervention Accelerated Program (EEIAP), is a shorter version of our Base Leadership Program.  With the EEIAP we are able to better serve some students by condensing the full version of our regular program in to a shorter time period (3 to 6 months).  The EEIAP is reserved for students who are just beginning to go down the road of rebellion (for a more detailed description see below) and/or, have a higher level of emotional maturity.

Base Leadership Program (9 to 12 months):

      Trimester I – ALA Leadership Program (first 3 months)

Human Behavior:  A Christ-centered view about “how and why” people “act”.  This segment of the ALA Leadership Program is an in-depth learning about “oneself”; personality traits, temperaments, personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as “blindspots” (actions and behaviors that continue to undermine the child’s progress).  Through the  “Human Behavior” segment the ALA students learn the basics regarding “effective interpersonal” communication [learning to relate to others and communicate better] and “conflict resolution”.  In addition, students come to understand the dangers and drawbacks of “selfishness” and “self-centeredness”.  Moreover, the ALA students learn to care for others, lifting others above themselves, and loving others.  During this phase the ALA student learns why he/she struggles to relate to others (especially parents) and why they continue to make poor decisions.  Students also learn the power behind “submission to authority”. 

Furthermore, the ALA student will complete at least one semester academic credit during Trimester I, as well as to be involved in serving others through “community service”.  Trimester I students can participate in athletics, worship team, and other prosocial activities that promote well-being.

     
      Trimester II – Leadership Curriculum (months 4 to 6)

Emotional Intelligence:  “EI” is the foundation of the ALA leadership program.  Most of our student body is made up of very intelligent (gifted) students.  Unfortunately, these kids are also very “emotionally immature” (struggle to make decisions that are in their best interest, especially when it comes to choosing “peers”).  At ALA Students learn to “think”, “act”, and then “feel”.  Way too many young people “feel” first (act out of their immature emotions), then “act”, and most often skip the “thinking” part altogether.  Instead of “thinking” things through young people are addicted to blaming others, rationalizing actions, and they are experts at “play the victim”.  Emotionally immature kids never get around to understanding that they are causing their own bad situations, and that is why they stay “stuck”.  Emotionally immature kids are depressed and angry.  They try so hard to get their needs met in the most ineffective ways, guaranteeing only that they will get less of what they want, and more of what they are trying to avoid.  At ALA we teach students to “think for themselves” and to find solutions for their issues.  We give them tools to overcome their problems, and then coach them to success.  However, the important thing is for the student to learn to make emotionally intelligent decisions for themselves.

Furthermore, during Trimester II we make sure that the ALA student’s earn opportunities to practice the leadership material they have learned.  During Trimester II students are encouraged, coached, and guided to “exercise” the training they have received.  In essence, the ALA students learn to be leaders by taking on tough situations, learning to deal with all kinds of adversity, and most importantly, to learn to serve others. In Trimester II the ALA student participates in “national” mercy ministry projects.  For example, the Trimester II students of ALA have worked tirelessly in helping clean up New Orleans and Mississippi after the Katrina Hurricane disaster.  Moreover, we have sent student teams to help clean up after major tornado’s (Greensburg, Kansas and Americus, Georgia).  The Trimester II student will participate in other mercy ministry projects such as “Habitat for Humanity” (building homes for the poor)

      Trimester III – Leadership Curriculum (months 7 to 9 and beyond if necessary)

Choice Theory:  The in-depth study of “choice”.  Students at ALA come to understand the power behind “choice” (Christ-centered Choice Theory).  ALA Students have become what they chosen.  Meaning, an accumulation of one’s choices over a period of time contribute to the well being of one’s life.  If we make good, powerful, and “right” choices over a period of time we can enjoy great prosperity and success (“Liberty” and “Freedom”).  However, if we make poor choices over a period of time we can earn a great deal of “loss” and “regret”.  As a matter of fact, prior to coming to ALA our students have compiled a big pile of loss and regret through their poor choices.  ALA students learn how to create success in their lives by making the right choices.  They also learn how to navigate out of “bad places” by turning from their poor choices.  ALA Students learn about the “pits” they have fallen into and how to get out of them.  They learn to take responsibility for their actions, and hold them selves accountable.  Students learn to restrain from negative influences and surround themselves with powerful influences.  “We become who we hang around”.  Through the ALA Choice Theory Program the ALA student gets a sense of “confidence”, “power”, and “destiny”.  At ALA we teach the ultimate choice is to be led by the Holy Spirit. 

During Trimester III students participate in International Mercy Ministries.  For example, students attend Abundant Life Academy at Costa Rica for at least 4 weeks.  ALA at Costa Rica is our satellite academy located on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.  Our mission is to serve the poor in that area.  Our Trimester III students are involved with feeding the poor, educating the un-educated, building homes, churches, and development of other social services projects.  Our students learn that the people we serve in Costa Rica are poor (materialistically), but more important they learn that the Costa Ricans are extremely rich (spiritually).  As we serve the Costa Rican poor, we are always out-served by them.  You can’t out give the people of Costa Rica.  Additionally, even though they have very little in terms of materialism, Costa Ricans are extremely happy and fulfilled people.  The ALA student learns why the Costa Rican’s are happy (because the culture of Costa Rica is about “family”, serving “others”, and being thankful for all they have).

      Typical Student Candidate (ALA Base Leadership Program – 9 to 12 months)

The typical student candidate for the ALA Leadership Program is a good kid from a good Christian family (raised in the Church).  Unfortunately, this student also has a substantial “authority” issue (mainly, this child is rebelling against parental authority).  The authority issue stems form the fact that they have an adventurous spirit and demand un-earned autonomy, but can’t make decisions that are in their best interest.  In essences, these kids are their own worst enemy.  In regard to their parents they fight, argue, and will not listen.  Additionally, this child is emotionally immature, is making poor decisions, blames everyone else for their own mistakes, rationalizes, minimizes, and is deep into “fantasy-thinking”.  Meaning, this child is making more and more bad decisions, is hanging out with the wrong crowd, sneaking out at night, experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and is probably sexually active and they don’t see the “problem”.  However, this same child blames his/her parents for everything, and thinks that they are “retarded”, “gay”, and “stupid”.  This child is acting as if he/she was 8 years old, but demands to be treated as if they were 30.

           
Total Cost for the 9 to 12 months ALA Base Leadership Program: $46,495 (9 Month) to $59,245 (12 Month).  There is a guarantee associated with the Base Leadership Program.

Early-early Intervention Assessment Program [EEIAP] (3 to 6 Months): 

Early-early Intervention Assessment Program – The EEIAP is a condensed program, combining Trimester I, II, & III into a 3 to 6 month time period (minus the Mercy Ministry program [National or International Mercy Ministry programming is optional to qualified candidates]).  Essentially, the EEIAP is Abundant Life Academy’s version of a “boot camp” for troubled teens. The Early-early Intervention Program has an intense (accelerated) focus on Leadership, Bible (Christian discipleship), and Academics. There is not a lot of down time, and the pace is greatly accelerated (when compared to the 9 month base-leadership program) Essentially, we have condensed Trimester I, II, and III into a three-month program as an opportunity for students who have not traveled too far down the road of rebellion. The Early-early Intervention program is very intense, highly structured, and accelerated.  The EEIAP is meant to be an “intervention” and an “assessment”.  We provide intervention, turning the student around (restoration), and at the same time we make a thorough assessment of the nature of his/her problem.  We work very closely with the parents in fostering a dynamic change in the family, not just the child.  Once we know what is going on, we can effectively coach the child and the parents into full restoration.

Additionally, with many “early-intervention” students no one is quite sure what is going on inside the mind and heart of the child.  With the emotionally immature child the “real” problem can go undetected.  The parents know something is wrong, and things in the home are not good. But why?  This child is tearing apart the family with their aggressive rebellion, but no one is really sure why.  We get to the bottom of the problem fast.  The earlier a parent intervenes into the rebellion the better prospect of full restoration.  Sometimes, parents wait way too long, and it take years for the child to overcome the problems he/she has caused.

The EEIAP candidate, in the early stages of rebellion, can be turned around in a shorter period of time.  Therefore, the EEIAP program is 3 to 6 months long.  We believe that an emotionally mature child can make decisions in their best interest.  Therefore, our goal is to focus a great deal of our attention on developing the student’s “emotional intelligence” (emotional maturity).  Our EEIAP does not waste any time. They are engaged all day, every day.  The student entering the program realizes that the length of time they are at ALA totally depends on their ability to “grow up”, take responsibility, and be accountable.  “Growing up” means that the ALA EEIAP student-graduate returns home as a “caring” and “giving” person.  They are much more thankful for what they have, and grateful for all that their parents have provided.  This emotionally mature student knows that submission to authority is powerful, and why.  The emotionally intelligent child readily submits to his/her parental authority, makes good decisions, and is therefore granted liberty, especially when “trust” abounds.

The EEIAP is identical to the ALA “Base Leadership Program”.  Moreover, the EEIAP student will cover the exact curriculum that the Base Leadership Program provides.  The only difference is the speed of delivery of the curriculum.  We believe that the more emotionally mature a student is the faster he/she can move through curriculum and make a real “heart change”.  We realize that not all students are the same, and some grow at faster rates than others.  Generally, those students who have not traveled down the deep rut of rebellion are usually more “emotionally mature”, and can rebound (be redirected) much quicker.  In these cases, we feel that it is in the best interest of the student and the family to return home as quickly as possible (3 to 6 months).  Even though the EEIAP is accelerated, it is not watered down or made easier.  Students, to be successful, must work hard and apply themselves 110%.  In three to six months these students must accomplish what others students do in nine months.  They must become motivated soon after enrollment to be successful.  These students, upon enrollment, engage and get down to business.  They see an opportunity to make their stay at ALA a short one, and they don’t waste time.  Usually, their motivation is to get back home and get back on track with their lives.  They begin to see where they were headed (the wrong way), and are appreciative that the turn can be made quickly.

Typical Student Candidate for the EEIAP

The Early-early Intervention Assessment Program is not open to all prospective students and their families.  Student candidates for the EEIAP must be assessed and accepted by the ALA Admissions Team into the EEIAP accelerated program.  The typical EEIP student candidate is a selfish and self-centered child, making poor choices (poor selection of friends and boy/girl friends), but has not yet experimented with drugs/alcohol**, does not sneak out, is not sexually active**, and is not in total defiance.  This student still may be doing well academically.  The typical EEIAP student candidate is primarily on a downward spiral, becoming more and more disrespectful and demanding, and is rebelling openly toward parental authority.  This student may also be questioning their faith, and is basically really confused, angry, and “entitled”.  This student needs a wake up call, intense coaching, and learn to deal with “structure” (authority, rules, policies, procedures, etc.).

** In some rare occasions we may take a child into the EEIAP who have experimented with drugs and alcohol, or have just become sexually active.  There can be extenuating circumstances that will be factored on a case-by-case basis.

Total Cost for EEIAP

$20,000 flat rate covering the first 3 months (includes the enrollment fee), and $5,000 per month for each additional month thereafter (months 4 through 6).  Parent Coaching included, After Care Fee optional ($2,000), and Athletics optional ($500).  Mercy Ministry Project optional ($2,500).