WOODS HOLE – The Penikese Island School was for more than 20 years a place of last resort for troubled teens in the juvenile detention system. The school on an island at the tip of the Elizabeth Islands off Woods Hole used rudimentary facilities to teach students a new appreciation for the difference between right and wrong.
The school closed in 2011 for financial reasons but it reopened this week under new management and with a revised mission. Calling itself just Penikese, the school is now run by Beckett Family Services.
The program will focus on helping teenage boys dealing with substance abuse issues.
Carl Lovejoy, the Associate Executive Director for Penikese, said being located on a remote island makes this program different from any other. He said public support for the non-profit school has been strong.
The program opened up this week and can have up to nine boys enrolled at one time.
Penikese has a staff of 16, who rotate their time on the island. The program is considered “short term,” lasting 60 to 120 days.
