Day School, Weekly Stay & Study School,
and Private-Distance Learning
Our belief is being well-educated is more than being prepared for entering the workforce or college. We teach our students to ‘learn how to learn,’ pursue their dreams, and become successful adults who are adept at solving problems. However, our core mission is to craft the next generation of statesmen and women. We weave this thread into all our programs, including:
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K-12 Day School
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4-Day-a-Week Stay & Study School
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Private-Distance Learning
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Two-Week Full Immersion Wilderness Camps - For Teens
Northwestern Outdoor
Leadership Institute
School
A Brighter Future Through Education
What Makes Our School So Unique?
First, we limit our classes to seven students per mentor and twenty-eight total school enrollment. This enables our instructors to have an enormous amount of time for each student. Our day-school “classrooms" structure is more like what you would expect to see in a graduate school than a standard K-12 setting. Students of mixed ages study in small discussion groups as well as in larger teams for special projects. They work one-on-one with their mentor or individually – wherever they feel most comfortable and productive.
In addition, for the convenience of regional families who do not live within close driving distance, our school offers a year-round stay-and-study-school option four days a week, Sundays through Wednesdays, for students age 9 and above.
Intense, non-traditional and focused, our teaching approach is balanced with unstructured, unguided free time so that students have the opportunity to play, explore, or pursue other interests such as music, art, or athletics.
How Do We Create a Curriculum That’s Unique to Your Child?
Our number one core belief is when a student is passionate about what they are learning the outcome is going to be good. With this in mind, we start the process by spending time with your child and getting to know them – discovering their aptitudes, their goals and interests, as well as their personal learning styles. After reviewing this information, we custom-tailor a curriculum and lesson plans that build upon their strengths and shore up their weaknesses – while aggressively engaging their interests.
Each child’s curriculum is fluid but has a well-defined structure for each day, week, and trimester. Students are coached by their mentor on how to create short- and mid-range goals that will help measure the progress toward their long-term goals. Written tests are typically not used at the end of a course of study. Rather, a student must demonstrate sufficient mastery of the skills they’ve learned while working with their mentor. Testing tools are only used if a student has a goal that requires them, such as professional certifications or college placement.
How do we Motivate Kids?
Many parents are confused by their child’s lack of motivation to study a particular subject, and we believe this is largely due to a failure of showing the student how the subject is relevant to their life. Our solution is simple, but effective.
We motivate students by connecting their passions and interests to the fundamental skills of grammar, math, science, history, language, and logic.
For example, if a child has a love of animals, they can practice their math and science skills by spending time with a mentor on a working ranch. If a student has an interest in writing or history, he or she might spend a day with an Elder storyteller of the Hopi Nation. There are endless ways to match a child’s interests with engaging modes of study.
How Do We Foster Good Habits?
The children who made up the ‘Greatest Generation’, as well as earlier generations, were expected to follow daily routines. They learned good habits by spending a lot of time working with their parents and elders – a style of learning that is largely gone. The truth is that successful people throughout history were known for their strong work habits. Their ability to manage time and to structure their days in pursuit of their dreams. We have spent years researching the habits of high-achieving people, and we apply these ‘best practices’ into the education of our students.
The most basic routines for children include daily chores. For example, younger children will need to make up their bed, get themselves dressed, feed and water animals, and make their own lunch. In the evening they may clean and put away dishes after dinner and organize their backpack for the next day.
