Upper School

The most rigorous and internationally recognized diploma program for high school students driven by academic success.

The IB Diploma Programme (IB) is a globally recognized international curriculum designed for students drawn to academic scholarship, critical thinking, and global citizenship. Colleges and universities worldwide highly regard the IB diploma for its rigor and depth, and some colleges offer credit for IB courses in advance of matriculation. Students on this pathway have the opportunity to earn two diplomas: an International Baccalaureate diploma and a Mountain Academy diploma.

Leveraging outdoor interest and leadership skills-building to prepare students for professions of all kinds.

The Outdoor Leadership Pathway (OL) offers students mission-aligned opportunities in the art and science of leadership. Alongside the core academic preparation afforded by our selection of IB classes, students on the OL Pathway have the opportunity to travel and live in wildlands, learn land and wildlife stewardship, and build leadership skills. OL students can elect and design learning experiences in transformative leadership, ethical decision-making, and outdoor and wilderness skills. Eminently transferable, these skills prepare students for leadership roles across industries and interest areas.

Career-focused internship learning to gain real-world knowledge and skills.

The Community Engagement Pathway (CE) leverages the core experience of profession-based learning to deepen a student’s academic knowledge and skills. CE students pursue concepts of entrepreneurship, hands-on career experiences, and building leadership for the workplace. A reduced academic course load in twelfth grade enables one or more community internships, in which students gain real-world knowledge and skills. Students may also choose to study abroad or complete an extended outdoor expedition. This pathway is best suited for those students who are excited by the challenge of real work environments.