Campus Philosophy

Students at Galena Interior Learning Academy agree to make the school their home. The Residence Life staff works hard to provide each student with a safe, supportive community that balances healthy boundaries with opportunities for growth. Their goal is to give parents peace of mind, knowing their children are receiving the physical, emotional, academic, social, and spiritual support they need to thrive during their time at GILA.

The expectations for both staff and students are designed to foster a positive living and learning environment that benefits the individual and the community. Sharing space, living under rules different from those at home, and following formal policies can be challenging. However, the social and interpersonal learning that comes from residential life is essential to developing well-rounded, engaged, and inquisitive young adults. The goals of the residential program closely align with the mission of Galena Interior Learning Academy, emphasizing each student’s growth and their relationship to the community in which they live.

To this end, the Residence Life Staff will strive to achieve the following goals:

• Provide a physical environment that is compatible with the needs of the student residents, including health and safety. 
• Maintain an environment that recognizes the school’s academic and Career and Technical Educational programs and places a high priority on the pursuit of academic achievement.
• Assist students in developing a positive regard for their living area as well as that for the larger Galena community.
• Promote acceptance and mutual respect among all residents by developing an awareness of one’s own responsibilities and rights, as well as the rights and responsibilities of others.
• Promote an environment in which students are encouraged to develop a broader understanding, acceptance, and appreciation of those with diverse attitudes, views, and cultures, while allowing them to explore and embrace their own.
• Help residents become aware of their emotions and to develop constructive ways of expressing them.
• Provide opportunities through which one is able to develop and practice mature interpersonal relations and social skills.
• Provide opportunities for students to develop and apply effective leadership skills.
• Provide programs which supplement and complement classroom experiences and objectives.
• Promote an environment, which recognizes each individual’s need for some degree of privacy.
• Acquaint students with the numerous campus and community resources through which one may obtain specialized assistance.
• Build strong, supportive relationships with each student so as to best help them to develop positive assets and a support network of protective factors for increased resiliency in life’s endeavors.
• Develop an awareness in all students of their responsibilities and rights, as well as the rights and responsibilities of others.