Archway Academy

Combining the Best Parts of Public & Private Schools

What is a sober school?

A sober school, or recovery school, is a specialized educational institution designed to support students who are in recovery from substance use disorder (drug/alcohol use) and who might be struggling with co-occurring mental health disorders.

These schools provide a safe and supportive environment where students can focus on their academic studies while also receiving the necessary support and resources to maintain their sobriety.

Sober schools typically offer a traditional high school curriculum while also incorporating elements of substance use education, counseling, and support groups.

The goal is to provide a holistic approach to education and recovery, addressing not only the academic needs of the students but also their emotional, social, and physical well-being.

While each school has a different method of operating, sober schools all share the following main goals:

Archway vs. Other Options

Archway

Public Schools

Private Schools

About Archway

Archway opened its doors in 2003 to offer students and worried families in the throes of teenage substance use a viable option and support system for restoring their child’s physical, mental, emotional, and academic health. We’re located in the heart of Houston, Texas, and are focused on meeting the individual educational needs of teens recovering from substance use disorder with care, compassion, respect, and rigor. Instead of returning students to the same environments in which they’re most at risk for relapse or might have trouble catching up academically, Archway provides a structured place for teens to continue both their recovery and their education without compromising either.

We offer a continuum of care from probation officers to private counselors, residential treatment clinicians to Alternative Peer Groups. Archway keeps in constant contact with every student’s unique personal network—triaging tasks and arming our students (and each other) with shared information to ensure that no important details slip through the cracks; to address behaviors and remove barriers; and to remain consistent and aligned in our approach to getting each student well. Today, we are the largest recovery school in the country, and currently mentoring new recovery schools throughout the nation.

How We Work

Archway Academy is a close-knit group of teachers, recovery experts, and students working together to create a welcoming campus that not only physically challenges its high schoolers to remain sober, but stretches their expectations socially, spiritually, intellectually, and academically.

How We Support Your Child

Culture of Recovery

Our culture of recovery integrates emotional, social, and academic growth, helping students build resilient lives rooted in health, purpose, and community. Discover how our unique environment nurtures personal transformation and lasting sobriety.

Student Life

Archway students are brilliant and sensitive, fearless and funny as hell. They are our future. And if we expect them to succeed—they will.

Archway Academy Graduation
Graduation: Celebrating Milestones
Join us at Archway Academy to celebrate the pinnacle of our students’ achievements as we honor their resilience and dedication to both their recovery and academic excellence. Our graduation ceremony transcends the traditional cap and gown affair —it is a profound acknowledgment of each student’s unique journey through recovery and education. Each year, we welcome family, friends, and the community to partake in this joyous occasion, which marks a significant milestone in our graduates’ lives as they step confidently toward their future.
SPROM (Sober Prom): A Night to Remember
Archway Academy proudly presents SPROM — an evening that offers a safe, sober, and spectacular celebration of our students’ high school achievements. This event features lively music, dancing, and the camaraderie of peers from throughout Houston’s adolescent recovery scene, all within a nurturing atmosphere of acceptance and joy. SPROM is more than a prom; it’s a cherished milestone celebrating our students’ commitment to sobriety while showing newcomers what having fun in recovery looks like.
Senior Trip: Adventure Awaits
Our seniors celebrate the culmination of their academic journey with Archway Academy’s Senior Trip — a curated adventure planned by our seniors themselves! This experience is designed to give our seniors an experience similar to a traditional high school all within a supportive, sober environment, offering a mix of thrilling activities and tranquil moments of connection. Our Senior Trip is an integral part of strengthening our community and celebrating the personal growth each student has achieved on their path to recovery.
Service Projects: Building Community Through Giving
At the core of Archway Academy’s ethos is a commitment to helping others and fostering responsible citizenship through service projects. Our students participate in a range of activities that not only serve and enrich the local community but also promote their personal development and a sense of purpose. These projects are a testament to the power of giving back, enhancing a spirit of gratitude and interconnectedness among our students and the community at large.
Field Trips: Expanding Horizons
Archway Academy’s field trips extend learning beyond the classroom, offering students transformative experiences that complement their academic and recovery journeys. Each outing, whether to a museum, a local park, or a university, is designed to ignite curiosity and connect classroom lessons to a wider world. These trips are pivotal in strengthening the social bonds among our students and enhancing their educational experience in a fun, supportive, and sober setting.
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Parent & Student Feedback

“Archway Academy is the exemplar of sober high schools. Schools around the country come to Archway to learn about their structure. Participation in an alternative peer group in addition to attending Archway helped my son in ways beyond his addiction to drugs. The staff is trained to teach teenage addicts and are effective in their delivery of instruction without sacrificing the rigor of the material.”

ALUMNI PARENT
“I can’t thank all of you enough...You probably have the best program in the country, if not the world. It’s amazing to see so many adolescents in recovery. I’m sure...all of the other pioneers are looking down on all of these kids and feeling incredibly blessed for finally having a solution to this painful and destructive disease.”

ALUMNI PARENT
“Little did I know I have a conscience. Archway definitely helped me wanting to get sober, because I saw so many healthy people that I admired and had things that I wanted: true friendship. Real self-esteem. It prompted me to get honest.”

ALUMNI PARENT
“Through [my daughter’s] attendance [at Archway], I was able to see first hand that the work that Archway does, coupled with the APG, literally saves lives! Not only do they provide an educational environment that is suited for the children there, but they also provide an environment that is emotionally supportive in the way these kids need. I would recommend Archway to anyone that needs it.”

ALUMNI PARENT
“I don’t know how she pulled it off or what kinds of deals anyone had to make with God to get her out the door, but bless you all for doing so. One of the great things about Archway has been that I always felt you were on the side of the kids...not the district, not federal and state money, but the students (and their families).”

ALUMNI PARENT
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Have questions about Archway?

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Enrollment Now Open for the 2024/2025 School Year