High School

It takes a thousand tiny sparks to light a fire. And a thousand kind words to raise a teen.

A Springhouse Graduate

Founded in 2014, Springhouse is an accredited high school where the purpose of learning is cultural renewal. Cultural renewal happens when we learn how to live our lives fully and create the conditions for others to do the same.

Our high school curriculum is fundamentally different from what most of us are familiar with. We know that leaving behind the familiar educational system can feel risky. Yet, to live in a thriving world, we must live and learn in fundamentally different ways. Ultimately, our goal is not for our alumni to assimilate into our dominant culture, but rather to foster vitality – starting with themselves – in a world with very real challenges.

The Program

Our high school program is informed by Sourced Education, an intergenerational curriculum that makes cultural renewal the primary purpose of learning.

This program supports adolescent development by strengthening the awareness teens have of themselves and the world in a loving and steadfast community. This gives them the confidence and courage needed to offer their gifts to a world that needs them.

Teens are invited to get to know themselves in ways that give them a better understanding of their emotions, bodies, values, habits, and future directions. They explore societal systems and social challenges as well as fuel their inspiration by learning how the Earth functions and examining successful cultural movements of the past.

Teens strengthen foundational skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics, while also learning Spanish to be able to communicate with all members of the Springhouse community. Teens go on three school trips a year, explore their interests through internships and projects, participate in our local community, and share their learning with others.

Learning happens outside on our 11-acre campus, in the classroom, in our print shop, and in our local community. Teens learn with their peers, as well as in larger, mixed-aged groups when appropriate. Learning at Springhouse is interdisciplinary, hands-on, and intergenerational. We regularly engage in practices that foster a sense of community such as singing, dancing, taking care of our spaces, and playing games together.

NOTE: Unlike our elementary age cohort, our high school cohort is taught solely in English. However, we are open to talking with families of Spanish-speaking teens who believe Springhouse is the best option for their learner.

Learn more about our curriculum

Our academic calendar

A deeper understanding of adolescence is where our hope lies.

Bill Plotkin

Our Alumni

We are often asked what alumni do after they graduate. The answer is that our alumni do all kinds of things. They participate in gap-year programs, travel, or work, and some go straight to 2-year or 4-year colleges. Our hope is that our alumni continue to learn in ways that are right for them and have the agency, courage, and discipline to take the right next step on their unique path.

Learn More About our Alumni

Is This Program For You?

We seek families who understand that, to live in a thriving world, the purpose and practice of education must fundamentally change. To determine whether this program is for your family and learner, please consider these questions:

Are you ready to be part of a community with a long-term vision to live in a world where all life thrives?

Do you understand that education must fundamentally change – its purpose and practice – for us to no longer perpetuate the status quo and transition to a thriving world?

Are you open to vitality being the primary measure of your child’s success, which encompasses all aspects of one’s life, including self-sufficiency, intellectual competency, emotional health, having a sense of meaning, and a commitment to lifelong learning?

Are you ready to be part of an innovative educational model where change is the norm?

Do you have a desire to continue your own learning in the area of cultural renewal – both at Springhouse and from other places and sources?

Are you eager to connect with others from different cultural backgrounds?

Are you open to your teenager exploring diverse avenues of lifelong learning that include, but are not limited to, college?

If you answered yes to these questions, this program might be right for your family, and you can follow the next steps listed below.

Next Steps

  1. Attend a Visiting Day or arrange a school visit (email info@springhouse.org to schedule).

  2. Submit the two-part application found below.

  3. Once the application is submitted, you will be contacted to schedule an admissions interview for both the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the teenager.

  4. Shortly after the interview, you will be contacted regarding acceptance and further steps for enrollment, including determining your tuition rate.

This program has rolling admissions with the application due by August 3rd for the 2024-2025 school year. Application materials include a registration form and subsequent questionnaire linked below.

Preliminary Registration Form

Applicant Questionnaire

Tuition

We have set tuition rates for our school programs, and we remain committed to ensuring that no one is turned away due to a lack of funds (learn more about our economic approach).

Springhouse has three tuition rates for our school programs:

  1. Pay-it-Forward Rate: $10,000 (Default payment schedule is $1000/mo for 10 months)

  2. Sustaining Rate: $8,000 (Default payment schedule is $800/mo for 10 months)

  3. Supported Rate: We remain committed to accessibility, and no one is turned away due to lack of funds. If you cannot afford either of the rates above, please review our Supported Tuition Rate Packet and prepare for a tuition meeting with Chris