Teacher Michelle Hughey has changed hundreds of lives at our Sarah Dooley Center for Autism over the past 13 years. For her unrelenting dedication and compassion, NBC12 surprised her with their Excellence in Education Award. Michelle gives her all to every student and makes the most of every teachable moment. She works with some of our largest, most severely impacted students. Last year, one of her students was unable to ...Read More
Our 82-acre campus is one of our most effective resources for therapy, education, and recreation. With the support of our community partners and individual philanthropy, we continually adapt the campus to maximize its physical and mental health benefits to our children and families. Recently we opened our newest addition: the Youth Fitness Park! The Youth Fitness park offers kids more ways to get out and be active at the Villa. ...Read More
We're delighted to welcome Linh, who comes to us from Vietman, to our Brook Road Academy community! Linh is Brook Road Academy's first-ever international student. In her eleventh grade year, Linh wanted to continue her education in America. After attending a large high school in Vietnam, she felt the smaller class sizes at Brook Road Academy would help her academically while improving her English skills. "The school is beautiful, and the people are very ...Read More
The Virginia Department of Health reports more than 1,400 people died of drug overdoses in 2016--a 38% increase from 2015. The McShin Foundation and St. Joseph's Villa are partnering to break to cycle of addiction in adolescents by establishing the first recovery high school in the state. "We have seen an alarming rise in opioid use and fatalities among teenagers," said Honesty Liller, CEO of the McShin Foundation. McShin Academy, ...Read More
Come see what our schools are about, and how we're preparing students for brighter futures! St. Joseph's Villa operates four schools on a therapeutic 82-acre campus: Brook Road Academy, Dooley School, Dooley Center for Alternative Education, and Sarah Dooley Center for Autism. Each school is uniquely designed to address the distinct needs of the students they serve. And, all Villa students have access to Career and Transition Services to prepare ...Read More
It's often taken for granted that people have the ability to capture and share videos right at the fingertips. For our students who don't have access to a cell phone or home computer, gaining multimedia skills can be a major challenge. VCU's Service Learning Class in the Department of Focused Inquiry has set out to bridge this gap. Volunteer mentors from this class are teaching Villa youth how to use ...Read More
Teresa didn’t realize how much she could enjoy school before coming to Brook Road Academy at St. Joseph’s Villa. “It’s so calming here. I’m not stressed like I was at other schools,” she said. On top of her classmates and teachers, she loves the Villa’s Career and Transition Services (CATS) program. Through CATS, Teresa is pursuing her dream of becoming a professional cake decorator. She works on baking techniques three ...Read More
After being placed out of public school for behavioral issues, Teon learned to manage his emotions and gained self-confidence through Therapeutic Day Treatment at St. Joseph's Villa. He returned to his public school for fifth grade and finished the year as an award-winning student. Teon received the school's LAMP Award (Library, Arts, Music & PE) for excellence in participation and conduct. The award is given to one 5th grade boy and girl. ...Read More
St. Joseph's Villa and Henrico CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) have enjoyed a longstanding partnership in serving the community's most vulnerable children. The Villa campus has hosted CASA's Superhero Run for the past seven years, and now, thanks to CASA, our campus will soon have a new resource to enhance the physical and mental health of Villa children and families. CASA is donating a shaded pavilion that can be used for a variety ...Read More
Our Sarah Dooley Center for Autism students had a great time at The Steward School's Field Day held on May 25th. A fun-filled morning playing kickball, volleyball, baseball, and ping pong, as well as face painting, cookie decorating, and exploring science stations made it a day to remember. Community partners enable us to help students engage with their community and develop lifelong social skills. We're grateful to The Steward School for providing this ...Read More
