Dana Brown loved St. Louis. Although not a native resident, our fair city became his adopted home, the place where he returned after his great safari-adventures and where he has built his legacy. Our mission requires that Dana Brown Charitable Trust grant-recipients focus their efforts in the greater St. Louis area, which is why we enthusiastically support organizations and programs that put St. Louis on the map as an environment that fosters forward-thinking approaches to community improvement.

Great Circle has done just that.

This year, Great Circle opens the doors of Great Circle Academy, the first sober, co-ed high school in Missouri for teens in recovery from treatment for substance use.

More than 17,000 children and teens ages 12 to 17 in Missouri struggle with a substance abuse disorder, according to a 2015 report but the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Additionally, in another recent study, students report illicit substances are kept, used, or sold in six out of every 10 high schools nationally. Great Circle Academy is tackling the implications of these statistics head on.

A Dana Brown Charitable Trust grant recipient, Great Circle is one of the most comprehensive providers of behavioral health services in Missouri and the Midwest.

Located on Great Circle’s Webster Groves campus, Great Circle Academy serves as both an educational opportunity for students who want a sober high school experience and a lifestyle support system for the teen’s entire family – critical components of the recovery journey that follows treatment. Great Circle Academy combines academic excellence, therapeutic innovation, friendship and community into a single holistic experience. The Academy’s faculty and staff has the background, expertise and experience to guide students toward success. Because the Academy is an accredited private school, through The Independent Schools Association of Central States (ISACS), students earn not only a high school diploma but are encouraged to set higher education or career goals.

What makes the Academy special is its unique blend of academics with therapy to support sobriety both in and away from school. Students have full access to therapists and a recovery coach, along with peer group activities and team building opportunities at Great Circle’s adventure ranch in Steelville, MO. The Academy also works with each student’s family, to help them understand how to best support their teen’s new sober lifestyle. Great Circle Academy is designed to provide an outstanding high school experience elevated by the care and development needed for recovering teens to succeed and thrive.

In this first year of operation, Great Circle Academy can accommodate up to 20 students. Informational tours are available upon requestOr, for more information, visit the Great Circle website here.