Beacon High School

A Therapeutic Alternative High School Program

Beacon High School is a fully accredited, co-educational alternative high school program that provides academic and specialized programs in a therapeutic environment to 60 students, ages 14–22 from the Greater Boston area. Typical Beacon High students have shown academic promise during earlier school years but have experienced events in their lives that render traditional educational programs inadequate.

High school can be an difficult time for many adolescents, but this transitional period can become unmanageable when further complicated by learning disabilities, serious emotional problems, or the onset of mental illness—problems that manifest in such signs as depression, alcohol or drug abuse, impulsiveness, school avoidance, anxiety, or attention problems.

At Beacon High is designed for adolescents who are failing in—and being failed by—traditional high school programs, and offers the seamless integration of therapy with learning, in a creative, supportive setting.

Beacon High students receive an exceptional education with a rigorous academic curriculum and high standards that challenge them to succeed. All students are required to participate in individual and group therapy sessions, with crisis management support always available. Most students are involved in creative arts that include printmaking, drama, the publication of poetry and literary magazines, and music performance and composition.

As a leader in alternative education, Beacon High has demonstrated extraordinary success educating students who are facing very serious challenges. Beacon High has operated since 1971 (formerly as New Perspectives School) and is Chapter 766-approved by the Massachusetts Department of Education.

Visit the Beacon High School Website