The Black Mountain Academy

Black Mountain Academy Shines in Recent Accreditation Review

Black Mountain Academy Shines in Cognia Accreditation Review We are thrilled to announce that Black Mountain Academy has been re-accredited by Cognia, a highly respected nonprofit organization that accredits over 36,000 schools globally. The process evaluated our teaching methods, learning environment, and student performance, helping us enhance our educational practices and grow as a school.  […]

Developing a Growth Mindset at Black Mountain Academy

Developing a Growth Mindset at Black Mountain Academy It’s 5:30am and we are swimming in the Atlantic ocean; watching the sun set. The students and I are the only people on the beach. One student turns to me and asks, “Hey, can we swim out so deep that we can’t touch the bottom?”  There in […]

Giving Back: Black Mountain Academy’s Commitment to Community Service in Support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Giving Back: Black Mountain Academy’s Commitment to Community Service in Support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Each year, our students and staff collaborate with local organizations and nonprofits to volunteer, fundraise, and support meaningful causes that strengthen our students’ lives and our community. Since our founding in 2016, our students and staff have contributed over 10,000 […]

The Importance of Kindness & Civility

The Importance of Kindness & Civility High school can be a challenging environment for any student. For a neurodiverse young person, it can present complex social and emotional hurdles that can become increasingly difficult in the approach to adulthood. Kindness plays a critical role in fostering an inclusive atmosphere where students can thrive. However, social […]

Valuing Adventure: Reflections on our International Trip to Portugal

As a therapist, I find myself thinking a lot about values: Our students’ values, Black Mountain Academy’s core values, my own personal values, etc. I have a collection of “values cards” that I will sometimes use with students to help them identify the values that are most important to them. We will discuss ways that […]

Enriching Students’ Lives Through Daily Community Engagement

At Black Mountain Academy, we believe that education goes beyond the classroom. Our unique approach to education focuses on the power of students engaging in the community every day, transforming them into responsible, empathetic, and well-rounded individuals. Through daily community involvement, we empower our students to grow in ways that extend far beyond academics. First […]

The Therapeutic Impact of Music and the Arts

a teacher teaches an art class to illustrate therapeutic impact of music and the arts at black mountain academy for neurodiverse teenage boys

Music and the arts are an integral part of our students’ daily lives. If you visit our campus, you’ll often see our students with headphones on, listening to their Mighty MP3 players while relaxing, playing basketball, or even walking around Lake Tomahawk. You might catch them music-making during music class, practicing an instrument after school, […]

Reflecting on 5 Years of Helping Families

This week marks the 5th year since Black Mountain Academy opened to serve neurodiverse high school students with an emphasis upon intentional daily engagement in our local vibrant community. Over the last 5 years, we have had the opportunity to serve a lot of wonderful young people and families, expand our school and program, and […]

Black Mountain Academy Celebrates 3rd Anniversary

IT’S OFFICIAL! Black Mountain Academy is 3 years old! We are so thankful for all of the love and support we have received from the wonderful town of Black Mountain and all of our community partners that create jobs and internships for our students.  We remain thankful for all of our colleagues within the field […]