Soccer at the Iowa Summer Games

This past weekend, a team of Woodward Academy students played some soccer in Ames, competing in the Iowa Summer Games. Considering this is not an organized high school sport that WA competes in, they finished remarkably well getting fourth in their division. The Knights put together a very unique team consisting of current WA students, some recently discharged students who are living in Des Moines, and a former WA student who is attending Iowa Central Community College where he also plays soccer. The team was later awarded the Iowa Sportsmanship Award.

Ja'Heil Francis Showcased in Local Newspaper

Ja'Heil Francis if from the Virgin Islands and was recently profiled in his local newspaper, the Virgin Islands Daily News. You can read the complete article online by clicking here, or after the break we have scanned a copy for viewing.

The article touches on how Ja'Heil was "one of the many misguided youth we hear about daily" in the Virgin Islands, but his story on how he arrived at Woodward Academy is a little different. Ja'Heil's father was the one who pushed the juvenile court program in the Virgin Islands to send Ja'Heil to Woodward Academy. In fact, when some WA staff went down to interview him and other students, Ja'Heil's father wanted them to take him back to Iowa that day.

Ja'Heil has had a very successful stay at Woodward Academy. He is a top student on his dorm and athletically has excelled. This spring, he traveled to Denver as a part of the National Champion powerlifting team, qualified in the shot put at the State Track & Field Meet, and played baseball this summer for the Knights. After the break, you can see the article that profiles Ja'Heil.

Knights on the Move // Video

Knights on the Move (KOTM) is Woodward Academy's student employed moving company. The company was started in 2007 with the idea behind it being that it would be a great job opportunity for our students and a great way for them to acquire employable skills. Since then, it has blossomed into a formidable moving company in central Iowa.

With the fiscal year ending in June, numbers are in about KOTM and they are pretty impressive. Last year, they had a total of 115 moves, logged over 1,200 student hours with $8,000 in student wages. Check out the video after the break that shows some WA students working for KOTM in a recent commercial move in Des Moines, IA.

Washing Firetrucks for Community Service

This Saturday is Friends and Neighbors Day, an annual town celebration in Woodward. The day is filled with a variety of activities for families and kids and ends with a fireworks display at night. To prepare for the event, some WA students helped the local fire department wash up some of their trucks that will ultimately be used in the town's parade. It was a pretty fun experience for the students and a great community services project.

Happy 18th Birthday Woodward Academy

This morning, Executive Director, Ryan Santi, sent out an email recognizing the date that Woodward Academy opened. In the email he reflected at how far we've grown over 18 years. We thought that we'd share that email with everyone.

From Ryan Santi:

On July 10^th 1995 the Woodward Academy Gators opened the doors to our first four students and 13 staff into a brand new highly structured program for the state of Iowa.  Eighteen years later the Woodward Academy Knights have grown to 251 students in residential treatment, ended the school year with a record 70 students in our day school, and 224 staff working on campus. 

Our growth and excellence in treatment is a testament to the quality staff we have on campus and the commitment we show to our kids and customers.  Doing the right thing for our kids, customers, and staff will continue to pay big dividends for WA! 

If you run into Jerry Anderson, our Woodward Youth Corporation President, please take the time to thank him for all he and the Youth Corp Board do for Woodward Academy.  Without them Woodward Academy would not be what it is today.  Take some time today to think about our history and what role you will play in our future.  

Happy 18^th Anniversary Woodward Academy!    

Picking Cherries

Last week was summer break from school so the students spent a lot more time cleaning up the dorms and having recreational time outside. Most of the students did not have the opportunity to spend time at home with over the Fourth of July holiday, but this image was sent to me and seemed like a very appropriate and relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Pictured are students picking cherries off of a cherry tree that is located on campus.