High school can be a challenging time for all young people, but for the students at one of the state’s more unique schools, the typical teenage stressors are compounded by the fact that they are fighting a different fight: addiction. All is not lost, however. These kids have Hope.
The Hope Academy, the state’s only recovery high school and one of only 30 nationwide, is a tuition-free charter school for young people on the road to recovering from addictions to drugs and alcohol. It is located on the campus of Fairbanks, a nonprofit addiction treatment center.
Hope student Ian Lewis, an 18-year-old 12th grader, is in a much different place now than he was a year ago when he had hit what he describes as rock bottom with his drug use. His family sent him to the Hazelden Betty Ford treatment facility in Minnesota. While in treatment, he continued to attend high school, but at the suggestion of one of the staff, he sought out a recovery high school in his home state of Indiana. He began classes at Hope last spring and said the school has been a perfect fit.
“Overall it has been a positive experience, and it has taught me a lot of things like communication, tolerance and acceptance, and it humbles me every day, because there are different levels of recovery at the school,” said Lewis. “I can see that student that just got there and reflect and think, ‘Wow … I was just there a year ago,’ and that is a constant reminder for me of where I’ve been and where I can go.”
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health, by the 12th grade about half of all adolescents will have tried an illicit drug at least once. Though marijuana is the most commonly used substance, prescription drugs — such as opioids (Vicodin, OxyContin), stimulants (Adderall) and depressants (Xanax) — are an increasingly popular choice.
Lewis credits the close-knit community of the academy and the dedication of the staff with playing a key role in his progress. He has garnered opportunities to share his testimony with the public and with other students as well.
“They gave me an opportunity to sit down with a student and a recovery coach. We have something called relapse circles where if someone relapses they can have an intervention-type situation where they invite in a student of their choice, a recovery coach and a teacher if they choose,” he said. “I just remember one of those (sessions) being really impactful and the student turning their life around after that.”
Lewis, who is already taking college courses, a staple of the academy’s curriculum standards, plans to attend a university next fall and study veterinary medicine.
Lewis’ story is a great illustration of the school’s mission, Principal Linda Gaygi says.
“The reason that Hope Academy was created is because it was noticed that as teenagers left treatment, they returned to the same schools, people, places and things and that they relapsed very quickly without recovery supports in place,” she said. “(It) was developed so that students on their path to becoming clean would have a safe space where recovery is supported.”
Though the school is not unlike others academically, there are many specialized services that are offered to ensure student success. Classroom ratios are typically 15 students to one teacher on the high end, but some classes have as few as seven students. The school offers free transportation, recovery coaching and training for staff designed to help them better assist students who have developed learning deficits as a result of prolonged drug use. With all of this also comes added cost.
Gaygi said the state funds $14,000 of the $21,000 needed per student per year. The rest must be made up through fundraising and donations.
On Sunday, Feb.12, from noon-2 p.m., the academy will host its biggest fundraiser of the year, Taste of Hope, at the Fairbanks Recovery Center, 8102A Clearvista Parkway. Attendees will hear from current students, take a tour of the school and try food from local chefs and eateries. There will also be a quilt raffle and a student art show. Rafael Sanchez of RTV 6 will serve as the event’s emcee. Tickets are $50 per person.
“It’s a great day to come out and celebrate the kids,” said Gaygi. “I always tell people, our students are really the heroes. They are the ones doing this day in and day out. It’s really hard to be in a high school in this day and age, let alone trying to go through high school and to be in recovery and be working a program and want to have that for yourself. They’re amazing.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, call Stacy Traylor at (317) 572-9384.
