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Curriculum Overview

Learning rooted in place. Thinking for the future.

At the Mountain School, education is hands-on, discussion-driven, and deeply connected to the land. You’ll study the systems that shape our world, engage in critical thinking, and do the work—both intellectual and physical—that sustains life here on our hilltop farm.
Every class challenges you to think differently, work collaboratively, and find meaning in the effort. The result: you’ll return home a stronger student, a better communicator, and a more thoughtful human being—ready to make an impact wherever you go.

The Mountain School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and has partnered with over 300 sending schools in its 40-year history.

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A Curriculum That Connects Mind, Body, and Community

Our independent semester structure allows us to offer a dynamic and place-based curriculum that responds to the world around us.
Students participate in four integrated programs that form the foundation of their semester:

  • Academic Program – rigorous, discussion-based classes across disciplines

  • Outdoor Program – exploration and stewardship through time in nature

  • Commons Work Program – shared responsibility through work on the farm, in the forest, and around campus

  • Foundations Program - a unified approach to advising, residential life, and Program Blocks focusing on positive youth development

Together, they create a whole-person learning experience that unites the classroom, the community, and the natural world.

Outdoor Program
Commons Work Program

Academics at the Mountain School

Challenging, meaningful, and grounded in purpose.

Every class at the Mountain School asks essential questions:

What does it mean to know a place?

To take care of it?

To serve the common good?

Through these inquiries, students develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world—whether they’re analyzing literature, studying ecology, or tending the fields.

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Required Courses

All students take the following core classes, designed to embody our mission and learning principles:

  • Honors English – Exploring identity, community, and belonging through reading, writing, public speaking, and discussion.

  • Honors Environmental Science – Investigating the relationship between humans and the Earth through scientific and social lenses.

  • Honors Food Systems Studies – Understanding the connections between ecology, labor, land use, and the global food economy.

Each course complements the experiential learning students do in Commons Work, field studies, and Science Hike explorations across our Vermont landscape.

Learn More
Sample Syllabi
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Electives

In addition to the required courses, students select up to three elective classes in subjects such as:

  • Humanities & Creative Writing

  • History & Social Sciences

  • Math & Science

  • Modern Languages

  • The Arts

Offerings vary by semester and may include Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, Honors Economics, and Culinary Studies.

Explore Our Courses
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Mountain School courses typically count for Honors or AP credit at your home school. Classes in math, science, history, and language are designed to keep you on track—or even ahead—of your peers.


We’ll work with you and your school counselor to ensure a seamless credit transfer.

Academic Credit and Rigor

Sample Transcript

What to Expect

The work here is both rigorous and rewarding. You’ll read deeply, write often, and engage fully—with your classmates, your teachers, and the world around you. Teachers balance high expectations with genuine support, helping you stretch your abilities while maintaining balance in the rhythm of daily life.

Most courses are Honors or AP-level, and students often sit for AP exams in English Language, English Literature, U.S. History, Spanish, French, and Calculus AB or BC. Some also prepare for the AP Environmental Science exam.

Daily and Weekly Schedule

A typical weekday blends academic focus with community and outdoor time:

Weekends:

Saturday mornings include Program Blocks, campus work, or enrichment followed by free time or off-campus trips. Sundays are restorative—often with hikes, community meals, or field excursions.

Mornings:

Breakfast and morning meeting, followed by classes and seminar.

Afternoons:

Program Blocks, Commons Work, Outdoor Program, or Advisory sessions, then more classes until early evening.

Evenings:

Dinner and dish crew, followed by clubs, affinity groups, or quiet study hours before lights-out.

Explore a Week in the Life

A Semester That Stays With You

The Mountain School’s curriculum is more than a set of classes—it’s a lived experience.
By the end of your semester, you’ll understand the systems that sustain life, the stories that shape identity, and the shared work that builds community. You’ll return home not just better prepared for college—but for the world.

Apply Today