Shepherd's Hill Academy

Shepherd's Hill Academy (SHA) is an accredited and licensed Christian therapeutic boarding school located in Martin, Georgia, United States, that provides year-round residential care and a private school for grades 7 through 12.

Shepherd's Hill Academy
Address
2200 Price Rd

Martin, Georgia
,
Franklin County
,
30557

United States
Information
Other nameSHA
Former nameShepherd's Hill Farm
The Edge at Shepherd's Hill
TypePrivate
Religious affiliation(s)Non-denominational Christian
Established1994 (1994)
FounderTrace and Beth Embry
DirectorTrace Embry
Grades7-12
GenderCo-educational
Enrollment25 (2019)[1]
Campus size185 acres
Campus typeOutdoor residential
AccreditationsEducation Agency with Special Purposes of Georgia Accrediting Commission
AffiliationGeorgia Association of Christian Schools
American Association of Christian Schools
Websitewww.shepherdshillacademy.org

History

Shepherd's Hill Academy was founded in 1994 by Trace Embry and his wife Beth. Embry attended Toccoa Falls College (TFC) and work for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. During his time at TFC, Embry and his family searched Northeast Georgia for property that would eventually become Shepherd's Hill Academy. Embry purchased a 60-acre tract of land in Martin for $200.[2]

From 2001 to 2003, Shepherd's Hill Academy partnered with the Atlanta-based school Gables Academy in a joint effort to provide residential care to families. At that time, the program was known as "The Edge at Shepherd's Hill."[3]

Now on 185 acres, Shepherd's Hill Academy is an accredited private school[4] and licensed residential care for students and their families.

Governance

Shepherds Hill Academy is a 501(c)(3) organization governed by a board of directors with responsibilities for assigning an Executive Director, for operational policies and for the annual financial budget. Day-to-day operations are led by the Executive Director. SHA's academic program and faculty are overseen by a Georgia-certified on-site principal. The SHA therapeutic program and residential care are overseen by a licensed therapist. Shepherd's Hill Academy is a bronze-level exchange participant with GuideStar.[5]

Private school

Shepherds Hill Academy's private school is accredited for grades 7-12 through the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC) under Education Agency with Special Purposes accreditation.[4] SHA is a member of the Georgia Association of Christian Schools,[6] and the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs,[7] and its courses are sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association Eligibility Center.[8]

SHA provides Advanced Placement (AP) classes through Georgia Virtual School[9] and extra-curricular opportunities including intramural sports and field trips.

Although it previously served 50 students, it has since been licensed to serve 36.[10]

Residential care

Shepherds Hill Academy offers a residential care facility licensed by the Georgia Department of Human Services through its Outdoor Child Caring Program.[11] SHA is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs.[12]

The structure of SHA's therapeutic program follows the "authoritative community model" discussed in Hardwired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities,[13] a study conducted by the YMCA of the USA, Geisel School of Medicine and the Institute for American Values.

Media
  • Executive Director Trace Embry hosts the radio broadcast License to Parent from a studio at SHA, and is a member of the National Religious Broadcasters.[14]
  • Embry contributed to the book The Digital Invasion.[15]
  • SHA staff and students were featured in a documentary directed by Colin Gunn and produced by Phillip Telfer, Captivated - The Movie, which outlines the effects of media on human behavior and brain chemistry.[16]

See also

References
  1. "Shepherd's Hill Academy - Private School". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  2. Cenac, Heidi (June 29, 2007). "Couple's Leap of Faith Brings Youngsters Hope". The Idependent Mail. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010.
  3. Patrick, Rhiannon Brewer (June 30, 2002). "Discipline Out of Love - The Edge Camp Offers Troubled Teens a Chance to Regroup". Athens Banner-Herald. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016.
  4. "Educational Agencies with Special Purposes" (PDF). Georgia Accrediting Commission, Inc. 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  5. "Shepherds Hill Academy Inc. - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  6. "Georgia Association of Christian Schools". www.gacs.org. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
  7. "Membership Directory". natsap.org. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  8. "NCAA Eligibility Center - High School Portal". web3.ncaa.org. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  9. Georgia Virtual School
  10. Friday, Aaden (2018-03-09). "At Unregulated Christian Boarding Schools, Students Face Conversion Therapy, Abuse, and Indoctrination". Medium. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  11. "Outdoor Child Caring Programs". Georgia Department of Human Services. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
  12. NATSAP. "Membership Directory". natsap.org. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  13. The Commission on Children at Risk. Hard Wired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities (New York City, NY: Institute for American Values, 2003)
  14. Broadcasters, National Religious. "ARTICLES". National Religious Broadcasters. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  15. Dr. Archibald Hart and Dr. Sylvia Hart Frejd. The Digital Invasion (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013)
  16. Captivated - The Movie Dir. Phillip Telfer and Colin Gunn. Media Talk 101, 2011. Film

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