Urban Academy

LYDIA Academy is a Christian alternative school dedicated to providing students with the opportunity to complete their secondary education. The purpose is to serve students who have dropped-out, been expelled, or are not succeeding in a traditional public school system. Our goal is to help them move toward self-sufficiency through education and mentoring. A quality, individualized education is one of the most effective means for transforming their lives.

LYDIA Academy is a ministry of LYDIA Home Association. LYDIA Home Association is a not-for-profit ministry that has been serving children and families since 1917. LYDIA provides a range of services, which include: residential treatment for children and adolescents with behavioral problems, foster care, pre-school program, child abuse prevention (Healthy Families), Mothers Program (intensive reunification program), counseling centers, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, youth homeless shelter, truancy prevention and intervention, and the Safe Families for Children program. LYDIA has a staff of over 120 full-time employees that work in Chicago, Rockford, Quad Cities, and Newark, NJ. LYDIA also has an international ministry called LYDIA International with children’s homes and other ministries in India, Jamaica, and Romania.

Mission of LYDIA Academy:
LYDIA Academy aims to provide a vital individualize, alternative education for youth whose needs are not being met in their current academic setting.

Goals:

To provide a quality, personalized education to as many students as feasible.
To help students develop strong character and discipline based on clear moral values and Biblical principles.
To assist students in developing the necessary academic, social, employment and independent living skills necessary for them to become productive adults.
To prepare students for life after high school by helping them enroll in college or a trade school.
To help students identify and overcome negative patterns of behavior and thinking that will potentially disrupt future goals.

Unique Features of LYDIA Academy:

Individualize learning experience
Low student-faculty ratio
Faith-based learning
Affordable
A holistic approach.
Faculty and staff that give their lives.
Small environment.
Strong academic requirements that allow for remediation.
An allowance for process.

Because LYDIA, LYDIA Academy is part of a larger non-profit organization, there are a variety of other services available to students who attend LYDIA Academy, they include the following:

Mental health counseling by a staff of masters and doctoral level psychologists
Psychiatric evaluation and medication management by staff psychiatrist
On-grounds child care for children between the ages 2 1/2 and 6
Psychological evaluations and learning disability assessments by staff psychologists
Mentors from LYDIA Homes Mentoring Program
Child abuse prevention training and casework through LYDIA Home’s Healthy Families Program (In-home weekly visitation program)
Behavioral management expertise based on LYDIA Home’s Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Program
Temporary out of home placement (for those students who come from unstable families) through LYDIA Home’s Safe Families Program
After-school program: LYDIA Home Association is partnering with Youth for Christ to establish an after-school program for youth in the community. This would include youth from the Academy.

Recently, LYDIA Academy invested money in purchasing Novel Starts On-line Curriculum. STARS (Student Testing, Assessment, and Remedial System), an exciting Internet-based curriculum and instructional service that has been designed to meet the educational needs of middle school, high school, and adult students at all levels of ability. STARS provides students with a world-class education utilizing the latest in web-based instructional technology. STARS addresses the individual needs of students regardless of their academic situation. STARS allows a teacher to provide a student, upon enrollment, with an individualized assessment in any of 31 core and elective subjects. STARS is suited for credit recovery or Summer School use as it eliminates those lessons that a student has already mastered, thus reducing the length of time needed to retake the course. STARS use is not limited just to credit recovery or Summer School. It can be incorporated into the traditional classroom as well.

Enrollment and Program Enhancement with Gates/NASS Grant:
Main Campus: Currently, LYDIA Academy has an enrollment of 20 high school students at its main office in Chicago, IL. With the help of the Gates/NASS grant, LYDIA Academy has increased the enrollment.

Development of 3 additional campuses: The Gates/NASS support has allowed us to develop 3 new campuses in other parts of the state that we are already providing services. The three campuses are:

Rockford, IL. Rockford is the second largest city in Illinois. The Rockford Public Schools have been in a state of crisis for many years. Our goal is to have 30 students by the end of 3 years. LYDIA also provides counseling services in this community.
Davenport, IA. LYDIA Home expanded its ministry to at-risk youth in Davenport, IA. Davenport is approximately 3 hours from Chicago and is one of 4 cities in the Quad City area. LYDIA has purchased a building that is ideal for the development of a NASS school. LYDIA also began a home for pregnant young women in the same building as the school It is expected that these young women will also be attending the Academy in the Fall. The goal would be to have 30 students enrolled within 3 years.
Salem Ranch - Salem was the most recent recipient of support from NASS. Salem is a unique, residential education program for at-risk boys ages 12-19. Salem has recently made the transition from a residential treatment center for state wards to a private residential education center for at-risk boys ages 12-18. Salem’s program offers the following adjunct services: Individual therapy by masters level therapists; Group therapy for residents struggling with addictions; Family therapy; Equine therapy – Currently, Salem has gained nationwide recognition for its innovative equine therapy program. Established in 1982, the Salem Therapeutic Equestrian Program fosters a sense of purpose and responsibility among the residents. Designed by Salem’s certified equine therapist and horse trainer, the program uses Arabian horses as a tool to develop emotional and social growth. Arabian horses offer the perfect combination of spirit, stability, and loyalty, three qualities that have proven significant in forging lasting bonds. Residents participate in all aspects of the care of more than 120 horses. In addition, the staff and residents train, show, and market horses to professional trainers and private owners, primarily for use in Class A competition. Proceeds from the horse sales help fund the residential school.

Since LYDIA Home has taken over the day-to-day running of Salem, the census has grown from 4 youth to 20 youth. The capacity of the residential education program will be 76 youth.