Sixteen Boarding Schools Examine Holistic Education in Book
A new book, Elevate: 16 Boarding Schools and the Practice of Holistic Education, has been released by Considered Practice Press, bringing together sixteen independent boarding schools from across the United States to examine how residential schools translate educational mission into daily practice. The volume, authored and edited by Jake Weld and Jeremy McGeorge, was published in 2026 and is available in both paperback and hardcover formats through Amazon.
The book features essays written by leaders from participating schools, each describing how their institution approaches student development within a residential setting. Contributors reflect on how academic programs, student life, faculty relationships, and institutional decision-making interact to shape the student experience. Rather than presenting rankings or a single model, the book documents how schools define and implement educating students within a shared living and learning environment.
Boarding schools have long described their purpose as supporting students' academic, social, and personal growth. Elevate examines how that goal is carried out in practice, with attention to how design, structure, and community expectations influence daily life on campus. By bringing together multiple institutional perspectives, the book provides insight into how schools sustain educational communities over time and how their values are reflected in lived experience.
Participating schools include Avon Old Farms School, Dublin School, Gould Academy, Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, Interlochen Arts Academy, Kimball Union Academy, Mercersburg Academy, Middlebridge School, Midland School, The Oxford Academy, The Putney School, Riverview School, Scattergood Friends School, Solebury School, St. Johnsbury Academy, and The Woodhall School.
Elevate: 16 Boarding Schools and the Practice of Holistic Education is published by Considered Practice Press, an independent imprint focused on leadership, education, and organizational practice.
About the Authors:
Jake Weld is Chief Strategy Officer at Mansfield Hall, a residential college-support program for students with diverse learning profiles. He is also the co-founder of Canopy College Coaching, a national college coaching service that provides academic support, executive functioning coaching, and guidance for college life. His work focuses on leadership, institutional design, and the development of learning communities.
Jeremy McGeorge is a Partner in The Bertram Group, an educational consulting firm that supports school, college, and graduate school searches. The firm also provides career and life coaching, as well as guidance for families seeking therapeutic and educational placements.
Special thanks are also due to the participating schools, which each wrote their own descriptive and informative chapters, as well as the following:
Elevate's Advisory Board:
- Brad Bates
- John Kaufman
- Meg Lahey
- Holly Treat
- Sarah Wagner
- Dr. Will White
- Jenney Wilder
- Matthew Woodhall