Give your teen "Time Out" with a difference. This unique year 11 & 12 program starts with backpacker-style team building on a 1st term river cruise full time on a houseboat for 16 boys and girls to refresh their minds. They'll continue to live and learn house boating full time with their team on the Murray.
Understanding the learning Challenge for Teens
Many teenagers today face significant challenges that can derail their education and well-being. They might struggle with a lack of interest in traditional high school subjects, feel unsafe due to bullying or gang activity, or experience difficult home lives. These pressures can lead to depression, self-harm, or even suicidal thoughts.
Some teens join the wrong crowd, leading to trouble, while others simply find the limited subject choices in large high schools unengaging. The traditional fear-based discipline, often absent now, leaves little incentive for performance when interest is low.
Large high schools, with their high dropout rates (24% last year, before age 17), often struggle to meet these diverse needs. Parents are legally obligated to keep their children in school until age 17 under child protection laws, meaning an early departure puts parents in breach of the law. While the government offers "locked cage" solutions, Aerie College believes there's a better path for those who are in school distress. We acknowledge that parents sometimes need support in managing their child's education. Parents cannot change large high schools, but we can and do encourage teachers of stressed students to advise their parents they can change their child's school to remove the conflict.
Parents are welcome as members of the community marina resort, and become fully involved in the learning opportunities for their children. Parents are encouraged to discuss the way our teachers work with their children with the principal. In this way we can provide some protection for our teachers and their students from the "disruptive parent".
Changing environments is often the best option for both child and parents in the change of school opportunity. Aerie Residential Adventure College offers a safe, alternative learning pathway designed to put these young people on a positive, new trajectory. As a registered school, Aerie provides a unique form of "home schooling" through Adventure Challenge learning. Our program starts with a teacher-guided escape, with students cruising full-time on a remote River Murray houseboat for their 1st term with Aerie. If they stay, a houseboat is the their home and school for the next two years near marina home base. Here, we teach our "young eagles" to thrive away from urban distractions and the pressures of large schools.
Our enrolment begins with a "Come and Try" decision program during the first term. Students join our river school-ship "SS Aerie" for a "time out" cruise from our Mannum slipway marina to Renmark and back, with daily double kayaking. This term is specifically designed to clear their minds of old thinking and embrace new, positive perspectives. Following this initial term, a "Stay or Leave" decision is made in discussion with College staff and parents, determining if Aerie's learning style will truly benefit their child.
Aerie's Residential Learning Model - students live and learn on the houseboats.
The college is planning a new residential marina property, near Mannum. Aerie School ships will eventually home port there. In the mean time the boats will be wanderers. Aerie boats can park at any public riverside as a visiting boat with people onboard, it must move on after 21 days. This is normal rules for any overnight mooring at any site on the river. The boat can return to the same place after the relocation voyage.
Once a student decides to stay at Aerie after their "Come and Try" term, they fully immerse themselves in our unique residential program. Students live in houseboats, forming a team of 16, guided by a resident teacher and aid. As student numbers slowly increase we will be building new College boats at our workshops. These houseboats serve as both their residence and primary classroom, based at our College marina resort. While most "Home learning" occurs on the boats, practical subjects utilise the resort's dedicated facilities. As students develop essential close-living skills, they'll have the option to transition to live on family boats at the marina. The houseboat fleets, family and college boats, stay together under the supervision of a fleet master teacher, ensuring continuous guidance. All student residential boats are under the direct supervision of Aerie teachers.
At Aerie, we offer a different form of "Home Schooling." The houseboat becomes their "Aerie" (nest), and the two resident teachers act as key parental figures. Our program fosters strong, respectful friendships and a supportive environment, focusing on personal growth and adventure learning. While we discuss healthy relationships, we clearly set boundaries regarding intimate relationships during their time with us. For families with their own river boats, these can be incorporated into the flotilla, allowing a team of 16 students to live and learn together under teacher supervision, whether moored or cruising.
Aerie offers a comprehensive SACE study program, covering essential subjects alongside a selection of interest-based choices. This flexible approach allows students to complete their SACE Certificate at their own pace, understanding that it's a journey, not just a two-year race. The SACE provides a recognised goal, offering critical focus during these formative "fledgling years," which can otherwise be challenging. We believe that large, traditional schools are often not the best environment for fostering positive team dynamics and healthy relationships. If a student's prior school experience has been negative, changing schools is often their best option.
Our teaching philosophy is rooted in guiding these "wild young birds" safely through their SACE years. We embrace adventure and close-knit, family-style living as our core lifestyle. While we encourage freedom for brilliance to emerge, we are also equipped to manage the challenges and potential "chaos" that can arise within a team with strong personalities..
Aerie students are full-time residents on our river "school-ships." Each school ship hosts a group of 16 teens and 2 teachers, embarking on cruises along the Murray River in South Australia. These school-ships provide a complete change of scenery, offering a remote, distraction-free environment essential for unhappy teens to "reboot their brain" and embrace new perspectives. Each vessel is equipped with a fleet of double kayaks, used daily for exercise and team-building. Those who choose to stay with Aerie after their initial term continue their adventure learning, actively crewing the boats and engaging in our vibrant community.
Students will achieve their SACE with Aerie and can also pursue VET certificates to further their qualifications. For ongoing support, we offer continued community residential support in the houseboats under Aerie Boat master supervision at Berri or Murray Bridge to attend the local TAFE for VET qualifications..
We strongly welcome family participation in all our activities, however, we kindly request non-interference with the professional work of our dedicated teachers.
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