Outdoor Education is a rigorous and active exploration of outdoor pursuits. The goals of this program are to 

• Teach the skills and knowledge necessary for safe and comfortable backcountry travel
• Instill a sense of stewardship for the natural world
• Develop a lifelong love and desire to be active in the outdoors.
• Develop leadership skills, teamwork and self-reliance
• Develop the ability to overcome and thrive in challenging situations

Other important objectives of the program are to develop solid leadership skills, teamwork, self-reliance, and the ability to overcome and thrive in challenging situations. Students develop confidence throughout the fall as they strengthen their endurance and fitness levels through activities such as trail running, hiking, and trail work. Students likewise get to grow their knowledge of how to take care of the gear they will rely on to remain comfortable while on the required overnight backpacking trips. The school provides the students with sleeping bags, sleeping pads, tents, and the community gear needed to take care of the nutritional needs of the group. We do have indoor days when we work on map and compass skills, stove maintenance and repair, Leave No Trace ethics, wilderness first aid, and appropriate personal gear. In this program, students meet daily, as well as for weekend day hikes, prepared to be outdoors and active regardless of the weather conditions. This is a course on becoming more rugged, resourceful, and resilient. 

Students develop confidence throughout the fall as they strengthen their endurance and fitness levels through activities such as trail running, hiking and trail work. Students grow their knowledge of how to take care of the gear needed to remain comfortable while on the required overnight backpacking trips. The school provides the students with sleeping bags, sleeping pads, tents and the community gear and food.

In this program, students meet daily, as well as for day hikes on the weekends. They will learn how to be prepared to be outdoors and active in any weather condition.  There are also indoor days to work on map and compass skills, stove maintenance and repair, Leave No Trace ethics, wilderness first aid and appropriate personal gear.

We live in an environment where winter weather dominates our academic calendar. It is important to our well-being both mentally and physically to remain active during these winter months and get outside. Winter Pursuits is meant to teach students how to enjoy the outdoors through a variety of winter weather conditions. One of our favorite sayings in Winter Pursuits is “ There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”

Every day we will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of outdoor activities. These activities are listed below. You are expected to be engaged for the entire activity period. If you choose to buy a Sunday River Pass/Lost Valley, you will travel to the mountains three days a week where you can downhill ski or snowboard. All others will stay on campus and have outdoor options. On campus outdoor options include but are not limited to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking and trail maintenance, extreme sledding; outdoor skills such as fire building, shelters, first aid, map and compass, ice climbing, and rope work; as well as winter safety topics like hypothermia, frostbite, and ice safety.

Avid skiers and snowboarders have the option to travel to the Lost Valley and Sunday River ski areas for three days of skiing and riding each week. Students may also choose to stay on campus to enjoy outdoor activities that include:

• Cross-country skiing

• Snowshoeing

• Hiking and trail maintenance

• Extreme sledding

• Outdoor skills; fire building, shelters, first aid, map and compass, rope work, etc.

• Winter safety; hypothermia, frostbite, ice safety, etc.