Sober College Building ‘Online Community’

Learning House, Inc. recently was commissioned to revolutionize the learning system at Sober College (www.sobercollege.com). The institution is partnering with Learning House to launch online courses in general studies.

Sober College was founded to provide a comfortable environment for young adults struggling to cope with the effects of drug and alcohol use and abuse. From their residential options to their teaching methods, Sober College stresses its role as a safe haven and alternative to traditional college settings. Administrators at the college hope to extend the reach of their mission further through distance education.

“Young adult treatment services is a need that is not being answered,” explained Kim Farber, Director of Communications at Sober College. “The young adult addict is a different kind of student, and it’s going to take a different kind of education to get them to learn. Sober College’s expertise is in treating young adult drug and alcohol addiction, and we do this through the belief in long-term treatment and the value of education to those in recovery.”

“We at Sober College believe in the power of the Internet and distance education to build a community of people with access to education,” she said. “We are currently devising a curriculum that incorporates our principles of sobriety that can be translated into online classes.”

The classes they are planning to offer will be in general studies, intended to cover the first two years of college. Students can work towards their AA degree, “for the purpose of creating a track record for success,” Farber said.

Sober College conducted an “exhaustive search” to find a partner for the development of its online program. “We needed someone with the experience of building an online university to mesh with our expertise on young adult addiction and education,” Farber said. “We believed that Learning House would bring something to the table.”

About Sober College
Sober College Academy is a residential program for young adults age 17 1/2 to 29 with chemical dependency and related issues. The curriculum builds competencies in Sobriety, Life Skills, Physical Fitness, Academics and Job Readiness. The Concept of Sober College is born out of an understanding of young adults struggling to recover from drug and alcohol use and addiction. The development of the concept is based on three core ideas. (1) Treatment and recovery for young adults is more effective when they are surrounded by others their same age. (2) Given the right environment, young adults will respond positively. (3) The longer a young adult can be in a treatment environment, the better the chances for lasting success.

About Learning House, Inc.
Learning House, Inc. was founded in 1985 by Dr. Denzil Edge. It is a comprehensive eLearning company that develops customized eContent, as well as audio and video products; hosts and leases course management systems; leases or sells eContent; and provides 24/7 HelpDesk services, project management services, consultation and research services, editing services, staff training and marketing services for its clientele. Learning House, Inc. provides eLearning services to numerous institutions of higher education, professional organizations, government agencies and businesses.

Sources: Learning House, Inc. – www.learninghouse.com and www.sobercollege.com.