Sunburst Youth Academy — Attraction in Los Alamitos

My son was going to attend last summer July 2022. We had to go to their “role call” several times on a Saturday prior to beginning the “5 months boarding” school. They EMAILED me 3 days prior to beginning this journey to let us know that they changed their mind!!

PARENTS BE AWARE THAT THIS ESTABLISHMENT has refused to accept my son based on a prior childhood assessment of my kid experiencing Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) during elementary school. So on the last role call Saturday event, my son let them know he had a fractured ankle but they STILL singled him out of the group of boys to run! He refused because he was not completely healed and since he chose not to wear his boot on this day, visually he appeared normal. THEY WERE TESTING HIM to see if he was being defiant!! Can you believe that? Afterwards, I spoke with the Sargeant, he explained to me that, last semester Winter 2021-22 they experienced another student with ODD and told me that it was difficult to manage and they wanted to see if my son was too difficult to handle too! THEY WANTED MY SON TO RUN AROUND THE FIELD WITH A FRACTURED ANKLE! That was the test he failed. Three days before he was really motivated and enthusiastic, this was a pivotal time in my son’s life! He got rejected by a wrong assessment, it was too late for summer school now….I know that this is a military run school but these are young teenagers, hoping to get help. They all have to want to come here not by force. We had began the prior year and my son wasn’t ready then in Winter of 2020-21. And we went through another season of rigorous preparation. I had purchased over $500 worth of supplies including $100 postage stamps to stay in touch through mail with my son! (They don’t allow phone calls except on special earned occasions or once a month.) So having this experience with SUNBURST ACADEMY was such a disappointment and made me wonder if this was the best place for my son. BTW-I grew up on an American military base in Japan for over ten years. I went to a Department of Defense (DOD) school all my life. So, I have experience in military based run school system. Hindsight, be careful of what you put on that application if you’re interested to apply here! They do not like kids who have had problems and whether 99% of the reviews are good, I beg to differ...

My daughter has not completed the program yet, but I got a letter from her today that blew my mind so I could not wait to post my review. I miss her deeply but I am 100% sure that she is exactly where she needs to be. She was 2 years behind in school due to the pandemic and other factors, she was also a little out of control behaviorally and I felt like I was at the end of my rope. I had nothing left to try. I needed help and she needed more structure than I was able to provide. She is changing and growing exponentially at Sunburst and there are not too many words that can really express my gratefulness for this program and the various staff that dedicate their lives to these kids. These people don't have an easy job, but it's evident that they serve these kids with passion and purpose. These are people that get to wake up every day and make a difference. They are showing these kids some serious tough love, skills and habits that will change the course of their lives. Not all kids are meant to be soldiers, but I am convinced that this "military style boot camp" approach works for so many. May Sunburst Youth Academy continue to prosper and grow and be an example to cities around the world. This program is the real deal. If you are considering Sunburst for your child, don't let the application process or the roll calls or the parenting classes deter you. Your kid is worth it. Your relationship with your kid is worth it. And best of all, they really do...

In my experience: I had all my hopes on this program I really believe in them, but in results is a total disappointment, fist they make it almost impossible with all the requirements in the application and they continue to ask for more as you turn everything, they give you rules of what's going to happen if you son or daughter gets kicked out but they don't apply them to all (favoritism or just fed up with drama of teens) they say that $140 will be use for an emergency to send you child home if no one can pick it up buy yet when that happens they force you to come get your child immediately (I live 2 hours away and they knew it) and don't want to use the money for it, then the explanation of the reasons why is he or she getting kicked out is your child don't want to comply with discipline. What is this program for then ???? If we're applying for it is for that reason !!!!!(single mom) Not because I have a good child . But of course they get pay like $25,000 per child that get in so ones is in they just don't want to deal with the challenges ones and keep the easy ones, that's my best conclusions. The program is hands off no meter what, but yet my son gets punched in the face and the kid didn't get suspended wish that's is the most delicate reasons to get suspended, I'm OK with them getting second chances, my son did get chances but then rules are rules and my son didn't punch anyone and does...