Private boarding schools for high school are an often misunderstood institution. There's the Hollywood religious version, which has young girls sneaking out to meet boys every chance they get, and then there's the military version where kids quake in fear that their cots aren't made nicely and awaken to a bugle sounding each day, eating slop in the mess hall to build character. Ideally, though, a boarding high school is a unique opportunity for teens to participate in a communal living environment, where their vote counts and so do their contributions to the rest of the micro-society. It's a great introduction to college dorm living and can help kids develop leadership skills that will last a lifetime.

Developing leadership skills in an environment that's free from oppression, and having the opportunity to manage long and short term projects with their peers immerses teens in cooperative management practices, and helps create leaders. For teens with behavioral or attention disorders, this sort of camaraderie is difficult to duplicate at home or in a traditional classroom. The combination of residential living and education makes it easier for kids to transition from one activity to another. Since virtually no time is spent in transport, kids have more time to pursue their interests and develop talents in music, art, drawing, writing or engineering.

A high quality boarding school for high school captures teens at a volatile time in their life, when poor decision making can have dire consequences. The safe environment of a boarding school can help turn society's rebels into catalysts for change in their generation. Teaching teens safe and positive ways to focus their energy into important causes is the best way to help teens find their way in society, using their righteous anger to help others and, in the end, themselves. Sometimes a boarding high school will employ round the clock counselors to help teens deal with issues as they arise, and to make sure that each student is using their emotions for the good of the community, without sacrificing their own ideals. It's a skill that even adults grapple with.

In a close-knit environment, teens are able to spend more time developing their individual skills and talents. Their peers, instead of gathering in cliques and knocking one another down in a popularity contest, end up more like siblings or colleagues, and begin to appreciate one another for their talents. It's an environment that is conducive to real self-esteem, and more like the real world. Group projects are run by the teens, and become ways for each of them to use their skills in preparation for the business world, and to practice teamwork and learn the importance of positive management skills.

The social aspect is probably the most compelling benefits of boarding high schools. As far as educational benefits go, boarding schools enjoy success much higher than public schools, due to their home school-like atmosphere, where learning and life are intertwined and individual attention is readily available. Students are prepared for taking on a leadership role in the real world, by participating in group projects and using their talents and skills to form an identity of their own, that they can be proud of. Students who have experienced boarding high school are more prepared for the dorm living of college, and the novelty of making their own decisions is buffered by the safety of an environment created for high schoolers.

Here are additional resources you might be interested in:

Boarding High School Directory

The Top Boarding Schools in the USA