"Art is so important for kids. It teaches you creativity, which translates to problem solving and decision making. That's something all these kids can relate to."
- Nobel Schuler, Owner of Schuler Arts Studio
Student Calvin Bommarito shows off the pottery he made during a residential field trip to Schuler Arts Studio in Albion.
Highfields' residential treatment program provides students with the best treatment plan based on personal assessments. The plan is created to identify the students' needs and help them successfully re-enter the community. Read about how Michael works through his treatment plan at Highfields in order to return home and achieve his dreams.
Michael has been transferred between multiple juvenile detention centers, and it has given him perspective on what works for him and what doesn't.
"At juvenile homes, they don't focus as much on treatment as they do at Highfields, and I think that's one of the strengths of Highfields' program," said Michael.
Michael grew up in an unstable environment. His parents split up when he was five years old, and he was sent to live with his father in Kentucky. Growing up, his father treated him like a friend first and a father second.
Thanks to a grant from the W.B. and Candace Thoman Foundation, Highfields' residential students take a yearly field trip to Schuler Arts Studio to express their creativity.
For some students, spring break is an excuse to go wild. At Highfields, the residential students go wild with creativity! During the week of spring break, the students spend three days at an art workshop at Schuler Arts Studio in Albion, Michigan.
Owners Nobel and Pam Schuler began their relationship with Highfields four years ago. Nobel met the President of Highfields, Brian Philson, through a mutual friend, and they began discussing the idea of creating a workshop for the students at Nobel's studio.
Sticking together can be easy for families to do if nothing goes wrong, but that is rarely the case. Highfields students have all made mistakes in their past which sent them to Highfields. Families can feel torn apart during difficult times. Strong families have to be able to face crises head-on and come out healthier and closer than ever before.
Throughout the summer Highfields hosts family treatment weekends on the Onondaga campus for families of residential students. It's a time for families to re-connect and work on their relationships. Six families attended Highfields' first family treatment weekend of the summer. Each and every family member who attended demonstrated their commitment to their family, just by being present.
Students Express Themselves through Art 
