Crawford First Education

Crawford First Education provides specialized schools and programs to facilitate academic and social growth for students grades K-12. Throughout all of our programs, we emphasize awareness and appreciation of many cultures and ways of life. Our goal is to affirm the strengths of cultural diversity and nurture the self-esteem and ethnic pride of all students. Students learn to recognize and value their own culture, as well as appreciate the cultural differences of others. A variety of cultural awareness activities expose students to the diversity and commonality of people.

Our curriculum includes values clarification, coping skills, conflict resolution, building self-esteem, effective communication skills and anger management. We present numerous opportunities for students to learn, practice and internalize value characteristics that are essential for developing moral character: responsibility, respect, fairness, citizenship, trust and compassion.

Crawford Day School provides a supportive and organized environment essential to the education of students who have not been successfully educated in the public school setting. Crawford Day School is an intensive and therapeutic placement for special education students in grades K-12. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

The Port Enterprise Program offers services for special education students not requiring the intensity of Crawford Day School, yet who require highly supportive and individualized educational services. Port Enterprise is a transitional program for students who are demonstrating a readiness to re-enter the public school system.

Day Treatment Services combines intensive therapeutic interventions with individualized educational programming to serve students with mental, behavioral or emotional issues that result in significant functional impairments in the school and community. Under a psychiatrist's and licensed clinician's supervision, the program offers individual, group and family counseling, along with behavior management strategies.

Therapeutic activities include specialized academic instruction; daily counselor-facilitated, structured therapeutic activities; and ongoing support and guidance towards meeting Individualized Service Plan behavioral goals. Individual counseling is offered to address trauma or difficult emotional experiences that often precipitate negative behaviors, as well as family counseling to help strengthen communication, interaction and coping skills.

Students receiving Day Treatment Services are enrolled in our Port Enterprise Program and are offered either special or general education instruction from certified teachers. Day Treatment Services are Medicaid eligible. Services are offered in Portsmouth, Virginia.