Thacher School

Overview

The Thacher School is located in the Ojai Valley of Southern California, about 2 hours northwest of Los Angeles. The campus is a mixture of California mission-style and modern architecture and is surrounded by mountains that are ideal for outdoor activities. While many schools provide numerous activities in the outdoors, embracing the outdoors is a daily part of life at Thacher.

Riding Program

Ask anyone what makes the school unique and they will usually talk about the horses. Thacher not only has a riding program like many other schools, but each new student is also required to take care of a horse their first year. This includes daily chores of cleaning the stall, feeding and taking the horse for exercise. The Horse Program teaches students about responsibility as well as teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Outdoor Program

Another way that Thacher uses the outdoor settings in the education of its students is the Outdoor Program. Every fall and spring, the entire school goes on a week-long camping trip. In addition to these trips, there are frequent weekend camping trips and opportunities to participate in sports such as rock climbing, kayaking and canoeing. These outdoor activities allow the students to build their confidence and develop leadership skills.

Balancing out the outdoor education is a rigorous academic curriculum. Thacher is one of the most selective boarding schools in the US and academic standards are high. It all adds up to an education that develops its students both intellectually as well as physically.

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