Eastside Academy History

Students arrive at Eastside Academy for a variety of reasons: getting left behind in classrooms where too many students vie for the much needed attention of a public school teacher, academic failure, family turmoil, drug and alcohol addiction, truancy, illegal behavior, et cetera. The diversity of needs is great, and many pieces must be in place in order to meet those needs. Here is our story of how those pieces came into place….

Eastside Academy began in 2001 as an effort to serve teens that were in danger of slipping through the cracks in the public school system. First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue decided to allow 15 students and 3 dedicated staff to use two classrooms in the old chapel building. Eight years later, EA has a beautiful new home in the church’s brand new Upper Campus building, a staff of 11 and a record number of students.

From the start, the goal at EA has been to focus on the individual needs of each student, many of whom were failing in public school settings where their specific needs were not being adequately addressed. When it became obvious that our students needed more than just academics to succeed, the 12-Step Recovery Program was implemented to help students who were facing the challenges of addiction. Additionally, partnerships were formed with Christian graduate counseling programs, providing each student with confidential counseling. This year we are excited to welcome our first fulltime Mental Health Counselor onto our staff. Our mentoring program is an additional way that we support our students, providing them with the opportunity to be in healthy relationships with stable, caring adults.

But Eastside Academy did not stop there! We believe that recreation and rest are as important as hard work, and we also desire to provide our students with a well-rounded high school experience. Towards this goal, a boys’ basketball team was formed and art classes were provided for the students, giving them an opportunity to express themselves creatively. Moreover, the entire school enjoys a few days away on our Spring and Fall Retreats.

EA is the only school of its kind in Washington. No other school offers such a unique approach to education, where healing and learning go hand-in-hand. Eastside Academy doesn’t just educate its students with grades and test scores: it helps students develop the skills they need to lead healthy, purposeful lives.