"Due to the fact that our society has gotten into more and more trouble and things such as illiteracy, unemployment, drugs and crime have worsened over the last couple decades, children and teenagers coming to us for education are not all arriving in a shape that we can easily teach and guide towards a better life. They usually have a lot of problems in life, such as being unable to get along with others, not being able to communicate easily with teachers and peers and making wrong decisions in their life, and therefore school is a hardship for them.
"It is because of that situation that we have our Life Basics program. The product of Life Basics is that the child has life under control to the point that they can observe, learn and apply what they are studying to life. When they have gotten this purpose, we can then set about teaching them what they need to know to be what they want to be in life." -
Mojave Academy Website
Here are some photos taken at the Mojave Academy
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| The students learn basic life skills, such as close conversational contact. The teacher shouts or makes faces at the student, who must respond to the question without becoming distracted or stressed. |
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Story time
An instructor helps a student with her studies.
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| After learning certain skills, the students demonstrate their understanding by making representations of what they learned using clay. Here, an instructor checks the student's work so that he can pass it off as done. |
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| The papers label the clay, "Person sharing ball," (I can't read the second one...) "Ball" |
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| This student recently learned to make his bed. To prove it, he made a representation of himself and his bed with the sheets folded neatly on it. |
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| Snack time. |
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| Cleaning up after dinner. The students help with cooking, serving, and cleanup. |
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| There is also plenty of time for recreation. |
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| Both these boys are professional skateboarders, sponsored by groups/clubs. |
