Launching January 2021, the Oliverian School, a nurturing college-preparatory boarding school with therapeutic supports in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, is jumping into the second semester by offering a new set of ‘Pillar Classes.’ Oliverian’s ‘Pillar Curriculum’ of Art, Adventure, and Outdoor Stewardship allows students the opportunity to find passions outside of the classroom.  Because Oliverian views these extracurriculars as foundational for engagement, learning, and self-discovery, students start each academic day with a pillar class of their choosing.  The rest of the school day builds on these creative, social, and highly experiential classes.

At Oliverian, the comprehensive college-prep curriculum is central, but the non-traditional Pillar Curriculum serves as a critical complement to academics.  Students actively engage in the visual arts, music, outdoor adventures such as rock climbs, trust walks, mountain bike rides, and nature hikes, as well as stewardship activities that involve forestry management and community service.  Recent pillar classes have titles like True Grit, Reclaiming the Cave, and Finding Your Voice. Through Pillars, Oliverian students who have often struggled with the traditional school are able to connect with teachers in new ways while gaining exposure to creative, challenging, and exciting new activities.

Oliverian is a place where adolescents can explore who they are and how they fit in the world. Through a traditional boarding school model coupled with on-campus therapists and clinically trained staff, students are able to prepare for college while discovering a natural, authentic, and confident sense of self to carry them into young adulthood and beyond. Pillars are a critical foundation for this growth. Bessa Axelrod, Dean of Pillar Curriculum, says it best: “Pillar classes help students to grow into their identity. Oli students find connections for a full life through stewardship, adventure, and fine arts, giving them a toolbox of skills they can utilize through adulthood.”

About the Oliverian School

Oliverian School, located in Pike, New Hampshire, is a non-profit all gender boarding school with college prep academics and an average class size of five and a one to one faculty to student ratio, including three full-time licensed therapists. Our campus is contiguous with 2000 acres of recreational preserve land. Oliverian is licensed by the state of New Hampshire and accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.  For more information please contact our Admissions Department at 888.922.5565