What area of education would I need to start a kind of group like the boy scouts?

Question

I'm wanting to start up an alternative school or group for troubled kids that will cover areas like the arts and other things. What major should I go into? What other types of study or education would be helpful?

Answer 1

If you want to start up a school, you will most likely need a master's degree or doctorate to be credible, or at the very least get a bachelor's degree and get lots of experience and respect in your chosen field.  

Education could be a good major, especially a branch of special education that deals with learning or behavior disorders.  Social work could be good, human development, maybe some psychology coursework. You'll need adolescent or child development classes, and probably some sociology, too.  If you are trying to run a group as a business, some business classes will help.  Every university has different names for their majors, so talk to an advisor about majors in this field.  

Mostly, you will need a lot of experience with the kids in the area where you want to work to both decide that is really what you want to do, and to give people a reason to trust that you can help their kids.  The actual degree you get won't make a lot of difference if people don't trust you or you aren't sucessful with the kids you want to help.

Good luck