EXPLORE THE OUTDOOR ACADEMY

Engaging academics, outdoor adventures, and creative arts in a small community setting.

Picture a classroom without walls, a math teacher who paddles whitewater, art class at the blacksmithing forge, and a student body filled with the 27 best friends you could imagine. This is The Outdoor Academy, a semester high school in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains between Brevard and Asheville, North Carolina.

OUR OA VALUES:

FOUR CORNERSTONES.
SEVEN PRINCIPLES.

Built upon our four cornerstones of intellect, craft, environment, and community, The Outdoor Academy is a fully-accredited semester boarding school that has offered motivated 10th and 11th grade students a distinctive high school experience since 1995. In everything we do, we emphasize our seven principles of simple living, work ethic, curiosity, integrity, stewardship, self-reliance, and gratitude.

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During your semester at OA, you will put the cornerstones and principles in action by:
01.

Engaging in hands-on, honors-level academic classes using the forest and mountains as your science lab and your inspiration for creative writing in English class.

02.

Developing your leadership style on the trail, communication skills on the river, and self-confidence on the rocks while also learning about the natural world and environmental issues.

03.

Distinguishing yourself for college applications and preparing for your future while learning in ways that are meaningful to you now.

04.

Learning to knit a hat, hand-carve a spoon, sew a quilt, tend a garden, bake sourdough bread, or blacksmith a coat rack in our traditional crafts classes.

05.

Taking a break from screens and spending your time connecting deeply with your classmates in the dorms or in Community Meetings, where you will develop the skills to become an ethical, positive leader back home.

READY TO DISCOVER MORE?

INTELLECT
Hands-on, experiential academics with real-world applications let our students get their hands dirty and engage in learning that is truly meaningful.
Explore Academics
CRAFT
The Craft program at OA is rooted in the traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Explore the Arts
ENVIRONMENT
OA’s signature, place-based environmental education combines with transformative wilderness adventures like no other.
Explore Outdoor Programming
COMMUNITY
What does it mean to live in a tight-knit, intentional community?
DISCOVER THE OA COMMUNITY
OUR TEACHERS
Our teachers are some of the most passionate educators you can find.
MEET THE FACULTY
THE OA BLOG
Check out what's been happening around campus.
READ OUR BLOG