Seneca’s Pathfinder Academy is nestled in a safe, residential neighborhood in the Irvington District of Fremont, a historic San Francisco Bay Area suburb. The school proudly boasts a 6 year accreditation term through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). This small, 3 classroom program serves up to 45 students in grades 6-12.

While students are referred to Seneca’s nonpublic schools for a variety of social, emotional or behavioral issues, all share a common characteristic: a pervasive history of unsuccessful experiences in previous school settings. The schools’ first goal, then, is to create a successful school environment for them here: one filled with the joy of learning and the supports they will need along the way. The school programs aim to provide an environment that draws out students’ strengths and teaches them strategies to cope with personal challenges, thus affording them the opportunity to succeed within this setting and beyond. To achieve this, small classrooms with high staff-to-student ratios pair a standards-based course of study with a therapeutic milieu and a structured positive behavioral intervention program.