Safe Harbor Academy
Transformational “Sea Change”
Safe Harbor provides a structured, transformational setting and educational alternative for boys ages 14–17 who are struggling or headed for trouble, helping them change direction, develop character and practical skills, and build a stronger foundation for a successful future.
Boys who are exhibiting bad or irresponsible behavior are counseled and mentored by our team. They learn responsibility, self-respect, and respect for others, while they also have the opportunity to learn a valuable vocation.
The Safe Harbor is a registered private school in the State of Florida, but we enroll students from across America. Our academic philosophy is built on the belief that education is a lifelong process and occurs in every area of life.
A Powerful Course Change for Adolescent Boys
Safe Harbor Academy is a Christian boarding school and boys home in Jacksonville, Florida, helping aimless, struggling, or at-risk teenage boys ages 14–17 discover a better direction for their lives. For more than 40 years, Safe Harbor has provided boys with the structure, encouragement, education, and positive relationships they need to move beyond behavioral problems, academic struggles, defiance, negative peer influences, and other challenges. In a supportive Christian environment, boys learn accountability, strengthen their character, rebuild confidence, and begin making better choices for their future.
Unlike traditional boarding schools for troubled boys, Safe Harbor offers a remarkable waterfront experience where learning extends far beyond the classroom. Seamanship, sailing, boating, maritime training, vocational education, and hands-on projects become powerful tools for teaching responsibility and preparing boys for adulthood. Students help maintain vessels, work on practical projects, develop valuable job and life skills, and may have opportunities to pursue maritime skills and certifications. Through real responsibilities and meaningful accomplishments, boys develop discipline, teamwork, leadership, perseverance, and the satisfaction that comes from a job well done.
The program, whose beginnings are portrayed in the Hallmark movie Safe Harbor, is far more than a boarding school—it is an opportunity for young men to experience a genuine change in the course of their lives. Through academics, Christian mentoring, counseling, vocational training, maritime experiences, and a structured daily routine, boys are encouraged to recognize their strengths, develop confidence, and understand that their past does not have to define their future.
Safe Harbor calls this transformation a “Sea Change”—helping struggling boys leave destructive patterns behind, discover purpose and direction, and chart a new course toward becoming responsible, capable, and successful young men.
How to Help Safe Harbor
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CHARITABLE GIVING INFORMATION: Safe Harbor Haven Inc dba Safe Harbor Boys Home & Maritime Academy is a 501c3 charitable nonprofit organization. State of Florida Charitable Registration Number: CH2422. Legal Address: 4772 Safe Harbor Way • Jacksonville, FL 32226 Phone: (904)757-7918