Wears Valley Ranch

Wears Valley Ranch (in Sevierville, Tennessee) provides Christian homes, education, and counseling to children in crisis situations. Our vision is to see each child inspired to follow Christ, healed from the past, and equipped to reach their potential. Four homes at the Ranch serve up to 32 children year-round. These children live in family-like home settings with loving houseparents and college age mentors who model the love of God and teach them the skills they need for true success in life.

Our History

As a teenagers, God separately placed a burden on the hearts of Jim and Susan Wood. When they met, they discovered a shared burden for children and a shared vision for meeting their needs. Manifesting the miraculous answer to over twenty years of prayer, Wears Valley Ranch and St. Andrew’s School was incorporated in 1991 in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Wears Valley Ranch has since provided a home and school for hundreds of hurting children and youth from families in crisis.

Our Mission

To promote the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social and physical development of children in need of a stronger family support system, through Christ-centered home settings.

Our Values

The Bible as God’s Word, Truthfulness, Worth of Each Individual, Lifelong Learning, Faithfulness to Christ and One Another

What We Do

Our Homes: At Wears Valley Ranch, we believe that each child is special and is worth our love and support. That is why we provide a home environment rather than dormitories. Our girls and boys live in non-institutional homes with houseparents and mentors who are investing their lives in the lives of the children The atmosphere within each home is one of love and encouragement where each child can know the security of boundaries and the acceptance of unconditional love.

Our School: A tailored curriculum is developed for each student upon admission, with particular attention to the student’s individual abilities, interests, and learning styles. Students in the same subject and grade level may be using different curriculum based on their needs and aptitudes. The goal is to provide each student with the tools they need for academic success. Each student’s progress is monitored through regular testing and adherence to ACSI standards.

Our Counseling: At Wears Valley Ranch, two Masters’ degreed counselors work directly with students and their families to identify sources of conflict, discover truth, and work for reconciliation and growth. Through individual and group counseling, students are helped to understand God’s plan for their lives, to respond correctly to conflict, to take responsibility for themselves, and to make wise choices for the future.

Our Equestrian Program: Working with animals can be fulfilling, fun, therapeutic, and educational. From grooming and feeding to riding and jumping, students have fun while developing traits that will benefit them for a lifetime—responsibility, attention to detail, obedience, confidence, and concern for the needs of others.The equestrian program at Wears Valley Ranch was designed with these character goals in mind. As students progress, they have opportunities to care for and ride horses in the arena, pasture, and on several trails around the Ranch. We thank God for providing this avenue for children to enjoy His creation and grow at the same time!

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