{"id":9757,"date":"2022-03-11T17:43:23","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T01:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9757"},"modified":"2022-03-11T18:09:39","modified_gmt":"2022-03-12T02:09:39","slug":"abundant-life-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/abundant-life-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Abundant Life Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abundant Life Academy<\/b> (2000-2014) Kanab, UT\/Milford, VA<\/span><\/h1>\n

Christian Boarding School<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

History and Background Information<\/b><\/h2>\n

Abundant Life Academy was a behavior-modification program that opened in December of 2000. It was marketed as a Christian Boarding School for troubled teenagers (12-18) who are “entitled”, “selfish”, “self-centered”, or “self-engrossed”. According to ALA’s <\/span>archived website<\/span><\/a>, the teens at ALA did not need mental health treatment, they needed “the reality of Jesus Christ in their life”. The program’s maximum enrollment is presently unknown, and the average length of stay was reportedly between 12 and 18 months. The cost of the program’s tuition was reportedly around $4,500 per month ($55,000 per year).<\/span><\/p>\n

Abundant Life Academy operated roughly 7 programs located throughout the United States, Mexico, and the Czech Republic. The first ALA program was started in Mexico, followed by the Czech Republic, Nevada, Utah, Virginia, and Georgia. More specific information regarding ALA’s location can be found <\/span>below<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abundant Life Academy did not describe or market itself as a therapeutic program. They did not treat mental illness, nor did they provide any methods of evidence-based therapy. Their <\/span>archived website<\/span><\/a> actually stated, in part, “Abundant Life Academy does not offer any mental health service. As a matter of fact, we believe that providing therapy to entitled kids only feeds into their entitlement. Instead of teaching our kids to be responsible, and hold them accountable for their actions, we label their negative behavior calling it “bipolar”, or “oppositional defiance disorder”. In doing so we give them excuses for their behavior… Basically, a majority of the kids who are diagnosed are really just very immature. How can you prescribe a drug or provide therapy and expect to overcome immaturity. We are all fooling ourselves.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Founders and Notable Staff<\/b><\/h2>\n

Craig Rogers<\/b> was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Abundant Life Academy. Himself a troubled teenager, he eventually steered himself straight through his faith. He went on to earn a BA in Psychology and a minor in Chemical Dependency Studies from California State University, Sacramento. He then worked as the Program Director of <\/span>Positive Impact<\/span><\/a> in Bahia de Kino, Mexico. He also worked as a Social Worker Supervisor at <\/span>Rite of Passage<\/span><\/a> of Nevada from 1998 until 2000. He co-founded ALA in December of 2000 along with his wife, Wendy, and served as the program’s Executive Director, CEO, and Director of Marketing until September of 2011. He is also rumored to have been involved with the notorious and confirmedly abusive <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> organization, but this is unconfirmed. He currently works as the Executive Director of Digital Marketing at <\/span>Wingate Wilderness<\/span><\/a>, where he began working in November of 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wendy Rogers<\/b> was the Co-Founder of Abundant Life Academy. She became involved with the TTI through her husband, Craig. She earned a BS in Physical Education\/Dance from California State University, Sacramento. She then worked alongside her husband as the Assistant Program Director of <\/span>Positive Impact<\/span><\/a> in Bahia de Kino, Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul Branning<\/b> purchased Abundant Life Academy in 2012 and took over operations of the program until its closure in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

Penny Frank<\/b> worked as the Executive Director of Abundant Life Academy. Prior to this, she worked as a Therapist at the reportedly abusive <\/span>SunHawk Academy<\/span><\/a> from 2000 until 2002. She also previously worked at a variety of unknown TTI programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greg Hitchcock<\/b> was a Board Member\/Corporate Officer at Abundant Life Academy. He also worked for ALA’s referral\/marketing arm, Zion Educational Systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

David Aguilar<\/b> worked at Abundant Life Academy in an unknown position. Prior to this, he worked alongside Craig Rogers at the reportedly absive <\/span>Positive Impact<\/span><\/a> in Bahia de Kino, Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n

Locations<\/b><\/h2>\n

Mexico<\/b> (<\/span>2000-2004<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Abundnat Life Academy was originally opened in <\/span>Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico<\/span><\/a> under the name “Xtreme Faith Academy”. In 2003, ALA opened a second campus near <\/span>Guadalajara<\/span><\/a>, Mexico. Both of these programs were closed following a <\/span>raid<\/span><\/a> by Mexican authorities, where 17 American youths were removed from their care after they were found to be in Mexico without proper travel or residency documents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Utah<\/b> (<\/span>2003-2014<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2003, ALA expanded and began operating a program located at <\/span>220 N 300 W, Kanab, UT 84741<\/span><\/a>, which was the former campus of the <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a>-affiliated <\/span>New Beginnings Maternity Home<\/span><\/a>. In 2011, the Kanab program was moved to a new campus at <\/span>948 N 1300 W, St. George, UT 84770<\/span><\/a>, which was the former campus of <\/span>SunHawk Academy<\/span><\/a>. This program appears to have closed around 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevada<\/b> (<\/span>2004-2005<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Around 2004, ALA opened a campus on a remote ranch near <\/span>Ely, Nevada<\/span><\/a>. It was reportedly called the “Hidden Canyon Ranch”. In May of 2005, CPS <\/span>removed<\/span><\/a> 33 teenagers from ALA’s campus in Nevada after receiving reports of child abuse and neglect from parents and survivors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Czech Republic<\/b> (<\/span>?-?<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

ALA also operated a program in the <\/span>Czech Republic<\/span><\/a>, but the specific timeline of this program’s existence is presently unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Virginia<\/b> (<\/span>?-2014<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

ALA later opened a campus in Virginia that was located at <\/span>20500 Remuda Ln, Milford, VA<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Georgia<\/b> (<\/span>?-?<\/span><\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

It has been reported that ALA at some point operated a program in Georgia located at <\/span>236 Leadership Ln, Jesup, GA<\/span><\/a>. No further information is currently known about this program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Program Structure<\/b><\/h2>\n

Like other behavior modification programs, Abundant Life Academy used a level system consisting of four phases. In order to advance to the next phase, students had to admit to a minimum number of transgressions in front of their peers. They also had to complete essay assignments stating how they were to blame for being put in the program. Additionally, they had to participate in assignments with their parents on phone calls. The assignments were “Family Reconciliation” where the child apologized and admitted they were to blame for being sent away. They would not advance unless they said these things. The phases are reported to have been:<\/span><\/p>\n