ENGAGE YOUR LOVE OF LEARNING

and get inspired in the outdoor classroom.

At The Outdoor Academy, we expand beyond the four walls of a traditional high school. Hands-on, experiential academics with real-world applications let our students get their hands dirty and engage in learning that is truly meaningful. Here, your classes will always be small and personalized. Your teachers will get to know you both on campus and on the backpacking trail. And you will never spend your days just staring at a screen. Instead, your honors-level classes will prepare you not only for college, but for life.

PLACE-BASED EDUCATION

at its finest in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Our campus is nestled in one of the most beautiful and biologically-diverse ecosystems in the world, and that environment will become your classroom. The mountains, rivers, and forests of Western North Carolina provide a living laboratory for Environmental Science, a template for studying “sense of place” in Literature & Writing, a source for materials in Wood Carving, and an opportunity to problem-solve on backpacking treks.
Student-faculty ratio
3:1
Honors-level courses on your transcript
7
1/4
of your semester spent learning on the trails, rocks, and rivers
182
acres of outdoor classroom
1
Unforgettable High School Experience
30 community service hours
2 study halls and a free period each day

MEANINGFUL ACADEMICS

OA’s dedicated and experienced faculty design courses that are:

Inquiry-based

In math, you and your teacher will investigate algebra’s real-world uses instead of just looking for answers to equations. You might develop a statistical analysis of campus energy usage or research the uses of logarithms in meteorology, always asking “Why does this matter?” instead of just “What’s the answer?”

Hands-On

In science, you and your peers will discuss a recent journal article on biodiversity, then head out into our 182-acre campus to apply what you’ve learned by studying human impact on our forest’s natural life. 

Personal

In English you will read works from a diverse set of authors, exploring the varied relationships humans have with place. You will simultaneously uncover the roots of your own relationship with place, expressing this through the many creative writing pieces that are staple of this course.

faculty-overlap-02

YOUR CLASSES

 

English: Literature & Writing
Environmental Science
Math
US Environmental History
World History
Spanish/World Language
Outdoor Programming
Art & Appalachian Craft
CIRCLE Health & Wellness
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