The Houlton Rotary Club learned about the Carleton Project from its founder and Houlton teacher, Alan Morris at their Feb. 9 meeting.
After 20 years of teaching in public schools, Morris started a private high school in Presque Isle in 1999 with 12 students, and the school has since grown to include five additional locations that serve more than 100 students a year.
Carleton Project’s mission has been, and will always be, focused on student success, according to Morris.
“The school is 100 percent tuition driven and enjoys important partnerships with public schools that have come to understand the direct benefits for their schools and communities when they support students they recommend to our schools,” explained Morris.
Taking inspiration from the Social Influence Model of behavior study, Carleton Project strives to create an environment in which students are nurtured and encouraged to change their own preconceived notions about success and failure in education. Creating a safe culture to explore and thrive, students are enabled to accomplish their own educational goals within the classroom, as well as create the building blocks to ensure success beyond high school.
“About one-third of my job is education, one-third politics and one-third social work,” Morris explained. “Some people believe that the Carleton Project is only for those students that need special ed services, but that is not correct. In fact, they do not have the licensure to provide special ed services. It is an alternative education that captures the students’ abilities and desires to be successful both in and out of school.
“There are very high expectations for each student,” Morris said. “Seventy-five percent of all students attend a university once they have graduated.”
Carleton Project now has very good relationships with most schools in the area, as they are not in competition with the public schools. It is all about the student and what best suits their needs. If at all possible both the public school and Carleton Project work together to enroll the student at Carleton Project instead of the student dropping out of public school.
“One of the unique things that all students must do prior to graduating is have a one-year plan, and this is not just go to college, it must be measurable and each step lined out so that it is realistic as well,” said Morris. “All their work must be looked at by other students before being passed in, so they learn to work together.”
Their senior project is to identify someone who has helped them get where they are and hope fully give a little payback as well. Those interested in visiting one of Carleton Project’s schools or inquire for more information please contact Morris at P.O. Box 562, Houlton, Me., 04730.
