About | Lakeland Girls Academy

Call Us (Se Habla Español) (863) 647-1944

Christian Boarding School
for Girls Who are Struggling

Lakeland Girls Academy is a residential home and school specifically designed for girls who are struggling with life-controlling issues. LGA student residences, kitchen/dining, and school are located in a 10,000 square foot home-like facility on acreage nestled in a middle-class community. There are ample areas for physical activities on the property, an inter-campus athletic department, and a screened-in pool. Lakeland employs fifteen female team members and counselors, each with the appropriate education and experience suited for their roles.

Teen Challenge provides a safe haven for adolescents who have sought to fill the void in their hearts, only to reap destructive consequences in its place. Our program provides an opportunity for each student to refocus and assess her life decisions and allows her the opportunity to choose the abundant life Christ has to offer. In the process, the student is taught indispensable lessons of strong work ethics, teamwork, patience, diligence, determination, communication, submission, and motivation, to name a few.

Some of the issues our residents come to us with include:

Low self-esteem
Loss of academic status, skipping school or dropping grades
Rebellion
Anger/Defiance
Depression/Suicidal thoughts
Deceitfulness/Cheating/Theft
Manipulation/Blame shifting
Promiscuity

When a student comes to Lakeland Girls Academy it is typical for there to be blame-shifting, avoidance of responsibility, and sometimes complete denial of wrongdoing. Soon after enrollment, the student begins to experience some regret for the consequences of her prior behavior. Essentially, she is “sorry” for being caught in her behavior but has yet to experience a turning away from her old sinful desires. This may be very similar to the ups and downs that parents have experienced at home, promises to change, periods of peace, that cycle back to crisis. Regret does not change individuals, repentance does.

Mentoring is ongoing – all day, every day – at LGA, with numerous opportunities for learning and growth. Individual sessions encourage transparency and self-acceptance. Group sessions help students develop problem-solving skills that will last a lifetime. Personal responsibility and respect for others are taught through our Christian Character Qualities training. As each student learns these qualities they start to develop a genuine concern and respect for others.

Lakeland Girls Academy also provides focused and individualized academic attention for the girls in its care. LGA is an accredited, private school registered with the State of Florida and a member of the Florida Association of Christian Child Caring Agencies (FACCCA). The focus is on improved study skills and performance, which gives a competitive advantage in college. Though education is not the main purpose of a girl attending the Lakeland program, parents have peace of mind knowing that they have provided their girl with the best educational foundation for life and for future advanced education.

Many times, teens have been spared the heartache of the full-blown consequences for their negative decisions. This is because at this age they are only beginning to experiment with behaviors that would later in life render them completely hopeless and unfulfilled in every area of their life; emotionally, academically, physically, and spiritually. In some cases, teens have been protected from the full consequences of their decisions by well-intending adults. For these reasons, teens are not always entirely certain of the need for change in their lives. However, the parent is convinced of this need for life-changing intervention. At Lakeland Girls Academy we consider ourselves an early intervention program, intervening in adolescents’ lives before they become an adult trapped in a dysfunctional lifestyle.

Here at LGA we have cultivated a positive peer culture. Students are encouraged to be responsible for their own actions and to hold others accountable for their actions. This positive peer element is a part of the Teen Challenge dynamic. Students influence other students positively as opposed to the negative peer pressure that so many of our students face before coming to Teen Challenge. As a student comes into our program and demonstrates obedience, she begins to recognize and reap the benefits that come with obedience.

1st Place in State Science and
Engineering Fair of Florida

We are proud of Grayson Huntsinger of Lakeland Girls Academy, who took first place in Engineering and then won the state Grand Award, meaning her project won above all other first-place winners. She won an invitation to the two international science fairs with all expenses paid to Houston Texas and the Intel Los Angeles Science Fair. She was also awarded the Grand Prize, including an $8,000 four-year scholarship to New College of Florida.

Our Location

Address: 6754 S. Carter Rd
Lakeland, FL 33813
Phone: (863) 647-1944
(Se Habla Español)
admissions@schoolforgirls.org

Participation in Activities

Students have opportunities to participate in activities they may never have chosen at home. New passions are discovered as students become more well-rounded through participation.

Participation in sports improves self-discipline, self-confidence, and self-esteem. Healthier lifestyle choices become habits that will produce lasting benefits. Many activities encourage teamwork and improve the relational skills necessary for success. Group activities prepare students to consider and respect each other’s needs.

Testimonials

“I really pushed my parents over the edge when I overdosed on pills not once, not twice, but three times with 35 pills. They had enough and did not know where to turn. That’s when they brought me to Lakeland. Two months later, Jesus Christ intervened and said, “Get ready family! I am the Great Physician and I will heal your daughter and bind up her wounds!” God changed me from the inside out that day and has set me free from all the bondage that I was enslaved in.”

Jennifer

Great
Campus Environment

A small and personal escape…far from the struggles and distractions of the “outside” world. Lakeland is a relational safe-haven for self-discovery and growth, but it is not a resort; girls are taught to take responsibility for themselves and for others through regular chores and a structured schedule.

Qualified and
Dedicated Staff Members

Residents receive around the clock care from a staff that is on duty 7 days a week. They provide ongoing positive role models with a high degree personal discipline and accountability. Lakeland’s staff and directors are living examples of a passionate, purpose-driven life. For each, it is not just a job, it is a calling.

Positive
Peer Culture

Our positive peer culture influences each student to develop problem solving skills with peers while taking a “Principle” stand. It encourages loving “confrontation” by peers versus policing and correction only by adults. While most kids get off track by the negative influences of peers back home, our atmosphere encourages the opposite.

Family
Involvement

Family relationships are of paramount importance in our program. Families are invited to attend on-campus family weekends and they take an active part in the girl’s therapy. Our counselors will keep the family informed throughout the girl’s stay in our program.

THE FOLLOWING IS FOR SEARCH ENGINE USE ONLY: We can also help you in your search for Christian boys ranches, help for troubled teenagers, school for troubled teens or private boarding schools. Our Christian boarding school program helps misbehaving girls who are at risk and having behavioral issues such as anxiety, who are oppositional, with reactive attachment disorders or avoidant personality disorder. Military schools for girls are probably not the best option for your troubled teen girl. Many military schools for girls won’t enroll girls who have a history of problems. When dealing with troubled teens, there are many types of residential schools which can help troubled girls. Not all Christian boarding schools work with struggling teenagers, but Lakelnad does. This program specifically helps troubled teenagers -- such progams are typically referred to as therapeutic boarding schools, but Lakeland is not licensed as a therapeutic boarding school, so it is much less costly. The Christian boarding school provides Bible-centered mentoring for at-risk teens, unlike other alternative schools and therapeutic boarding schools schools that do not have a Christian emphasis.