Questions You May Have

A guide for the parents of Summit Academy students.

What does he need to take with him?
Your son does not need to take anything with him from home. He is given a nice button down shirt, a blue blazer, khaki pants, a tie, and loafers for the fall, winter, and spring. In the summer he gets a golf shirt, khaki shorts, and sneakers. He will also have gym shorts, sweatpants, t-shirts and sweatshirts. All uniforms for sports are provided.

Your son also does not need any money. We provide everything for him: clothes, meals, books, field trips, etc.

Does he keep going to school when he is at Summit?
The Summit Academy is a private high school for young men between the ages of 14-18. While at Summit, your son will have a regular school day of classes where he can receive credits that will transfer to his school back home.

Is he going to be able to graduate now?
If he has enough credits from his high school at home and from his classes at Summit, he can graduate with a diploma from the Summit Academy and receive a $2,000 scholarship for college.

He was thinking about going to college. How does he apply while he is away?
If your son is interested in going to college, he can take SAT preparatory classes and take the SAT exam while with us. Our teachers and counselors are here to help your son look into colleges and applying to them and apply for financial aid.

He can also take college-level classes at Summit through our partnership with the local community college. Our College within a High School program has been very successful in getting our young men a head start on their college career.

College isn't right for him. What about the G.E.D?
Your son may want to enroll in our GED program. GED prep classes are offered on campus at Summit and they can take the exam when they feel ready and as many times as allowed.

What if I don't have enough money to pay for all of these tests and fees?
SAT Prep classes and the SAT exam, G.E.D. prep classes and the GED exam, college application fees, and community college classes are free to our students.

Can he play sports at Summit?
The Summit Academy Knights are a member of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and compete against other high schools in the area. Your son is welcomed and encouraged to join our football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, golf, track and field or volleyball teams.

He's not very athletic. What else can he get involved in?
Not into sports? Maybe your son would like to join our award-winning pep squad. Our pep squad, which includes flag bearers, a drum line, and a core group of student cheer leaders, travels with our teams and supports them at home games. Each year, our pep squad visits the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland to experience a famous pep squad tradition.

He can also get involved on campus in other ways like the chess club or the student advisory committee.

How can he get real life experience if he is away?
Each student at The Summit Academy takes the Ansell Casey Life Skills Assessment (ACLSA). This is a test that covers different life skills areas like: career planning, communication, daily living, home life, housing and money management, self care, social relationships, work life, and work and study skills. After taking this test, we will be able to tell what areas your son needs to work on, and two of his teachers will help him to develop his skills in that area. For example, we can teach him how to balance a checkbook or apply for a job.

What about career training? He'll need a job when he gets back home.
Our evening Industrial Trades program provides hands-on instruction in a wide range of courses like: dry-walling, food service, microcomputers, hardwood flooring, optical lab training, painting, structural repair, woodworking, and custodial maintenance. He can start working on a solid career while he is with us. This is a great program because it gives your son real work experience and produces results he can be proud of.

What will he eat while he is at Summit?
A certified chef plans out three full meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He will also get an evening snack. Each day, a choice of meat or fish is offered, along with a fully stocked salad and soup bar. We promote healthy eating and your son is welcome to eat until he is full, for free, every day.

Where will he sleep?
Your son will be assigned a single, double, triple, or quad room with a bed, desk, and clothes dresser - the same as you would find at any college or university in the area.

He's had a problem with drugs and alcohol. Can you help him?
Yes, we absolutely can help your son beat his addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. In fact, The Summit Academy's Drug and Alcohol Counseling program has been rated one of the best in the state. Our certified counselors will work with him daily in this special program to get him back on the right path. Of course, there is no access to drugs or alcohol while he is with us.

What else will he be doing while he is with you?
We do our best to make your son's enrollment at Summit positive. We show movies in the auditorium, have a swimming pool open in the summer months, and an arcade room for fun. They also get to make trips into the city for events like baseball games, college basketball games, musicals, the symphony, or the science center.

Can he do his community service with you?
Our students can complete their community service requirements and pay off their restitution while with us.

Who is going to be working with my son?
By day, we have a full staff of certified teachers and tutors that will help your son with his school work and academic goals. In the evening, our staff of counselors will work with your son in group or one-to-one sessions working on things like anger management and independent living skills. A full staff of night-time counselors work over night in the event that your son needs help. These teachers and counselors have dedicated their lives to helping young people build a brighter future for themselves.

Where is this school?
The Summit Academy is located in Butler, Pennsylvania which is a little over half an hour from the city of Pittsburgh. Our school sits on a lot of property, so it's like a college campus with dormitories, a main school building, football and baseball fields, basketball courts, a pond, a swimming pool, etc.

How do I get a hold of him while he is away?
Your son can write letters to anyone and receive them from anyone, except for students in other delinquent programs. This mail is distributed once a week. No packages of any kind are allowed.

He is allowed one phone call home a week (calls can only be made to you).
You may call in with questions after 9:00 pm.

How can I visit him?
You may visit your son every other Saturday or Sunday (he may not receive visits two weekends in a row). Only three visitors over the age are permitted per each visit. To set up a visit, call our message service before 10:30 pm on the Thursday before the visit and give your name, your son's name, contact information, and the day you wish to visit. Our secretaries are happy to help.

So who do I talk to about my son while he is away?
The Summit Academy's Aftercare program will send one of our aftercare workers regularly to your home to talk to you about your son's progress while he is away. Why does this help? Our representatives will make it easier for your son to transfer back into his high school at home or to get a job when he comes home. They will work with your local high school to get him enrolled again or send him applications for open jobs in your area. If he wants to go to college, our reps will help with the financial aid forms and the college applications and will bring updated college brochures to him. The Aftercare program is the final step in your son's success.

Talk to your aftercare representative about setting up a visit with your son. These trips will be scheduled in advance and will leave in the morning and return the following morning.

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