The Harbour School

The Pathways School - Anne Arundel is one of three therapeutic nonpublic special education programs run by The Pathways Schools in Maryland, located at 1819 Bay Ridge Avenue, Suite #340 in Annapolis. It serves secondary students who have emotional and behavioral disabilities and have not been successful in traditional school-based settings. Across the organization, students range in age from 11 to 21, and the Anne Arundel site describes itself as a small high school program in roughly the grades 8 to 12 range (younger grades may be considered case by case). The Pathways Schools are approved by the Maryland State Department of Education and the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education to run full-day nonpublic programs, and each site keeps enrollment small, with no campus exceeding 40 students. The Anne Arundel model is community-based rather than a single classroom building. Community Support Staff transport students to programming in different settings, with small-group academic instruction and individual and group therapy scheduled at the Annapolis site, while individual instruction, experiential learning, and career exploration happen in libraries, community centers, and workplaces. Coursework follows county curriculum and leads toward a Maryland High School Diploma or a High School Certificate of Program Completion, with paths toward GED preparation, a less restrictive school placement, post-secondary education, or employment. Therapeutic and related services include individual and group therapy, social skills counseling, specialized support groups, family support, mindfulness education, and speech and occupational therapy. The program is restraint and seclusion free and uses Right Response crisis management along with individualized behavior management and a trauma-sensitive approach. Transition services are a major focus and cover vocational assessment, career exploration, job development and coaching, internships, Pre-ETS, a young entrepreneurship program, and post-secondary links with colleges, vocational schools, employers, and adult service agencies. The site is also an approved SAT and ASVAB testing location. Admission is identified students whose primary disability is emotional, with secondary disabilities such as specific learning disabilities, mild intellectual disability, traumatic brain injury, or autism spectrum disorder also considered. Placement runs through the local school system: referral packets go to the Pathways Admissions Coordinator (admissions@pathwayschools.org), the program principal reviews records and interviews the student and family, and enrollment is finalized through the IEP process. The Anne Arundel site can be reached at 410-295-1539.

4STEPS Therapeutic Riding Program is a nonprofit therapeutic riding center on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, located in the Wicomico Forest at 5367 Sixty Foot Rd in Parsonsburg. Sandy Winter founded the program in 2002, and it operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a PATH International Member Center. The program serves children and adults with disabilities, including developmental, emotional, and physical challenges, using therapeutic riding and equine assisted activities. The farm setting includes an outdoor arena, a covered arena, and sensory trails, so sessions can run year round and move outdoors for trail rides through the forest. Programs cover both mounted and unmounted work. Therapeutic and Recreational Riding focuses on horsemanship and basic riding skills while working on muscle strength, coordination, balance, stamina, self confidence, and social interaction. Equine Assisted Learning and Horsemanship offers unmounted, experiential activities on the farm. The HORSEPOWER Empowerment Program uses horses for communication, problem solving, team building, and emotional growth, built around its four parts of Healing, Learning, Growing, and Riding. Equi-Thera-Play pairs horses with sensory stations, crafts, and outdoor play and is geared toward children, with an emphasis on social skills and engagement that fits families navigating autism. The center also runs HORSEPLAY, an adaptive summer camp, and Operation Charlie Horse, which provides riding lessons, trail rides, and seasonal trail ride socials for veterans, active and retired military, and their families. Private, one-on-one lessons are available for participants who prefer individual instruction, and programs can be tailored to individual needs. Summer camp cost varies according to available funding, so families should contact the program directly about pricing and any financial assistance. Instruction comes from certified therapeutic riding instructors, including PATH Intl Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors (CTRI) and CHA-certified instructors for riders with disabilities, supported by a trained volunteer team that helps keep sessions safe. Every participant completes an application and health history before riding. The 2026 spring session runs from March 3rd through May 23rd. The program can be reached at giddyup4steps@aol.com.

A Child's Garden is a preschool and daycare in Severna Park, Maryland, founded in 2001 as a sister school to nearby Wee Lad & Lassie. It is built around the very young learner, with a toddler program starting at 18 months, a 2-year-old program (split into young twos and older twos), and a 3-year-old program. Morning preschool classes run from 9 a.m. to noon, and full-day extended care runs from 7:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. for working families. Attendance is flexible, with schedules ranging from two half-days a week up to five full days. The school is accredited by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), which it earned in 2005 through the Early Childhood Accreditation Project, and it holds a Check Level 5 rating, the highest tier under the Maryland EXCELS quality program, awarded in 2015. The program teaches Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and the Arts through hands-on, play-based activities, and it keeps adult-to-child ratios and group sizes low so teachers can individualize instruction. Teaching staff are degreed and work from developmentally appropriate practice, and the school treats parents as partners in the learning community. A Child's Garden specializes in the care of children with food allergies and operates as a peanut and tree nut free facility. It maintains a Disability Nondiscrimination Policy and points families toward Anne Arundel County special education and ADA resources. The school also runs themed summer camps that mix outdoor play with reading, projects, and weekly themes, held at either the A Child's Garden site or the Wee Lad & Lassie campus at 1281 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd in Arnold, MD. For enrollment, families register by appointment with a $100 registration fee, a two-week deposit, and a signed contract. The school accepts CCS, Childcare Aware, and MCCYN payments. New school year enrollment opens in February, and tours can be scheduled on weekdays between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. by calling the office at (410) 647-2300.