LETTER FROM THE OA DIRECTOR

As I look ahead to the end of Semester 56 of The Outdoor Academy--my final as its Director-I am filled with gratitude for the hundreds of interesting young people and dozens of talented educators with whom I have had the opportunity to work over these past five years. I also feel an immense amount of hope for the future of this distinctive school, as we have come through the pandemic with a wonderful sense of creativity and momentum borne of the necessity of figuring out how to operate through a challenging time. Signature programs, such as our interdisciplinary Bridge class and our CIRCLEs social-emotional learning curriculum, have emerged as mature, comprehensive manifestations of the mission, vision, and values of this institution.

While each OA Director stretching back to 1995 when Ted & Helen kicked this thing off has made their mark, I like to think that none of us have owned the vision of the school. Rather, we have each engaged in the exciting work of attempting to weave together a variety of perspectives about what the promise and purpose of this place should be; indeed, each leader of the school has had the privilege of drawing on the collective experiences, aspirations, hopes, and beliefs of thousands of stakeholders across decades in the often-challenging and always-engaging work of considering how to best pursue our mission. I believe that this is why our offerings are so engaging and impactful...they are the product of a great many people's efforts over a great many years.

That constant of community has been the central component of the growth and evolution of this special place, and your role as both a member of this community and a financial supporter of its mission have been, and remain, central to the sustainability of the passion, energy, intellectualism, and creativity that have driven this school forward in leaps and bounds since 1995. You help create access for students for whom this experience resonates, and they show up giving it their all. You support the development of signature programs, whether it is helping pay the stipend for a faculty member working extra hours to advance an idea or supporting the construction and maintenance of an inspiring space where they pitch that idea to their colleagues and then set out to implement it. My hope is that some of the programmatic initiatives, shifts in the OA culture, and new ways of doing things that we have pursued in recent years will become woven into the fabric of the essential OA experience for both students and faculty. And, I hope that a great deal more will continue to evolve, change, and remain responsive to the needs of the students, families, faculty–and, indeed, the needs of our world–in the years to come.

Again, your support not only helps keep the lights on, but it fuels and sustains this special community that comes together and--each and every day--strives to make The Outdoor Academy the most inspiring, impactful experience that it can possibly be.

For that, I Give Thanks!