Semester school

Characteristics

• Semester school curricula are built around themes including environmental sustainability, marine ecology, organic farming, ethics and leadership, visual arts, and others. The curricula tend to be place-based drawing on the resources and opportunities of each school's unique location.
• Semester schools are boarding schools. Community living is a key element of the experience. Through living closely with peers and teachers and working together to benefit the school community students develop their communication, leadership, and cooperative skills.
• Semester schools enroll college bound sophomores, juniors, and or seniors. Most semester schools focus primarily on students from just one grade level.
• Semester school programs run from 14 to 18 weeks.
• Semester schools tend to be small, enrolling from 15 to 60 students a semester with average class sizes ranging from 5 to 15 students.
• Semester schools are private schools that charge tuition and offer financial aid. Depending on the school and a student’s family situation the cost can range from no cost to several thousands of dollars.
• Most semester schools are located in the United States.
• While most semester schools serve students in secondary school or high school, Steward Outdoor School in Ivoryton, CT serves middle school students.

  Benefits

• Intensify a student’s interest in and motivation for learning.
• Allow a student to pursue a special area of interest in depth.
• Complement a student's education with experiences that aren't available at their home school.
• Broaden a student’s range of skills and interests and increase their maturity level.
• Give students a head start on developing the independence, good judgment, and life skills necessary for living away from home before they leave for college.
• Provide students with a unique, eye-catching experience that sets them apart from other applicants when applying to colleges.
• Provide students from public schools a boarding school experience without the cost or time commitment of a four-year school.

  Growth