How Boys Home of Virginia Prepares Young Men for Life Beyond Graduation
How Our Residential School Setting Fosters a Comprehensive Education
Traditional education ends when the school day is over. It often focuses solely on academics, with other activities labeled ‘extracurriculars.’ However, research indicates that young men require more than just classroom learning to thrive.
Boys Home of Virginia has long understood this truth, developing a comprehensive approach that addresses the whole person, not just the student.
From Children’s Home to Comprehensive Education
Boys Home’s evolution reflects a deeper understanding of what young men need to succeed. Originally founded as more of a children’s home with an educational component, ‘The Industrial School and Farm for Mountain Children and Home for Homeless Boys,’ the organization recognized that students needed more individualized attention and a more integrated approach to learning and development.
“We felt, as an organization, that having the students on site, receiving their schooling, would give them the chance to receive more one-on-one attention, but also be able to take in more aspects of the program itself,” explains Asianna.
More Than a Traditional Boarding School
What sets Boys Home apart from other residential schools is that we assess each student’s current level and then work to meet their specific needs, rather than expecting them to immediately fit into a predetermined mold.
Academic Flexibility:
- Barton reading program for students needing additional support
- Dual enrollment opportunities for advanced students
- A maximum of eight students per classroom for personalized attention
- Progress-focused rather than grade-focused learning
Comprehensive Program Elements:
- Academic instruction tailored to individual needs
- Trades and life skills training
- Athletic programs build teamwork and discipline
- Spiritual life and character development
- Residential living with family-style cottages
- Community service and leadership opportunities
This framework serves as the foundation for developing students into young men who will go out into the world and achieve success in their personal lives and beyond.
Skills for Life and Work
Research consistently shows that employers value “soft skills” – communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and work ethic – as much as technical knowledge. Boys Home’s comprehensive approach naturally develops these essential skills.
Students learn communication through athletics and group projects. They develop problem-solving skills on the farm and in trades programs. They build work ethic through daily chores and the AWARES program. They practice collaboration in everything from cottage living to community service projects.
Preparing for Multiple Pathways
Not every student heads to a four-year college after graduation, and Boys Home celebrates this diversity of paths. Their comprehensive approach prepares students for success whether they pursue:
- Four-year college education
- Community college programs
- Trade school training
- Military service
- Direct entry into the workforce
By taking each student’s entire personhood into account, we are ensuring that each graduate possesses the character, skills, and confidence needed for whatever path they choose.
Beyond the Classroom
Boys Home has been doing something right for over a century. Educational experts now call it the “whole child approach” — but it’s really just common sense. Young men need more than good grades to succeed in life.
Think about it: a student needs to feel physically healthy, emotionally secure, genuinely interested in learning, supported by caring adults, and appropriately challenged.
Boys Home naturally provides all of these through our daily operations— athletics keep students active, structure creates safety, hands-on programs spark engagement, small classes ensure support, and individualized academics provide the right level of challenge.
Discovering Hidden Talents
Something interesting happens when you stop limiting education to desks and textbooks. Students find out they’re good at things they never tried before.
Take the young man who barely reads at grade level but can weld like a pro. Or the quiet kid who finds his leadership voice during community service projects. When you give students multiple ways to succeed, they often surprise themselves.
This discovery process builds something textbooks can’t teach— genuine confidence. Students stop seeing themselves as “behind” or “struggling” and start recognizing their actual strengths—the parts of themselves that make them unique and reveal their purpose.
Because of our small community environment, we can lean into their newfound strengths and encourage students in that specific area.
The Result: Well-Rounded Men
What does this approach actually produce? Young men who know how to show up, work hard, and treat people right. They are equipped to take on life’s challenges. They possess a strong academic foundation, but also practical skills, strong character, and the confidence to pursue what matters to them.
Boys Home graduates enter adulthood with the right tools that will serve them in all aspects of life.
What started off as a hunch to provide young men with more than just a safe place to live and a basic schooling has evolved into a comprehensive approach to education that has become a proven model for developing well-rounded young men.
Want to see how Boys Home’s comprehensive approach could benefit the young man in your life? Contact us today to learn more.