LINCOLN HALL Boys' Haven: A RICH HISTORY DEDICATED TO THE FUTURE

Lincoln Hall Boys' Haven has a rich history but it has always focused on and dedicated itself to the future. Founded as a home for Civil War orphans in 1863, it has persevered in its efforts to set itself apart from other institutions that provide specialized services for adolescents by concentrating on teaching them how to learn. By promoting academic achievement, Lincoln Hall Boys' Haven serves not only the needs of disadvantaged young men, we also serve the needs of society.

We're proud of our success in the field and the recognition we've received for our work. Most recently, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, founded by Britain's HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1956, selected us to partner with them in its international self-improvement program for youth, called The Young Americans' Challenge. They described our new partnership as an "empowering opportunity" with the goal of "instilling a sense of self-worth and societal responsibility in the next generations of citizens."

We believe that, given the chance, these young men have the potential of becoming responsible citizens who contribute to the community. Indeed, we believe that when you give them structure, consistency and a sense that they belong, you develop in them an ability to make incredible transformations... you give them a desire to learn and succeed.

To this end, Lincoln Hall Boys' Haven has implemented the Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports [PBIS] initiative with the support of both the New York State Education Department and the Office of Children and Family Services. PBIS sets clear expectations in the classroom, in our athletic program - in all facets of campus life. Its purpose is to recognize students for doing things well.

John Macken was the first of nearly 150,000 youngsters to attend Lincoln Hall Boys' Haven since its founding in 1863. In those days it was a new alternative for boys like Macken who otherwise might have been warehoused in asylums or faced involuntary relocation. It was a prominent New York City attorney, Dr. Levi Silliman Ives, who founded the institution that was to become Lincoln Hall Boys' Haven. Dr. Ives, for whom the Ives School at Lincoln Hall Boys' Haven is named, saw the potential value of these children as functioning members of the community. He saw that by helping them to succeed in life, he could help society grow and thrive.