Academics
The Academy at SOAR merges adventure and education giving students an unparalleled opportunity to have fun, socialize, and learn amidst a natural landscape!
8
Adventure Trips
2-8
Average Classroom size
1•1
Classroom to Field Experience
The Academy at SOAR is accredited by Cognia (formerly SACS), the accrediting body for charter schools, independent schools, and public school systems.
Through the North Carolina Department of Non-Public Education (NCDNPE), the Academy at SOAR is a fully certified non-public private school.
Should your child complete one or multiple semesters, they will receive full academic credit for the courses they complete.
Accredited Courses
Students attending The Academy at SOAR can receive credit in the following courses:
Maths
- Middle School Math 2-3
- Foundations of HS Math
- Integrated Math 1-3
- ACT Math
- Liberal Arts Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
- Pre-Calculus
- Dual Enrollment courses
Sciences
- 7th – Chemistry & Physical Science
- 8th -Earth & Life Science
- Earth and Environmental Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
Humanities
- 7th – Geography & World History
- 8th – US History
- Modern World History & Humanities
- United States History & Humanities
- Government/Civics/Economics
- Ancient World History & Humanities
Language Arts
- English 7-12
Non-Core Courses
- Fine Arts (all grade levels)
- Life Success Skills/Social Emotional Learning (all grade levels)
- Outdoor Skills (grades 7-8)
- Outdoor Leadership (grades 9-12)
- Physical Education & Health (all grade levels)
International Studies
- Spanish I, II, III, and IV
- Offered only during the summer through the Academy’s Spanish Immersion Program at an additional cost.
Differentiated Instruction
Providing each student with differentiated instruction allows us to customize the learning environment and deliver academic instruction in a way that meets the individual needs and abilities of each student.
For example, if your child is an auditory learner, information will be presented verbally, whereas visual learners are provided with primarily written components.
Differentiated instruction means we can make accommodations for each student based on their specfic learning styles. This would include offering different teaching tactics, extending testing times, etc.
Our Team Cares
SOAR Academy Staff are trained to work with students diagnosed with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders.
The Administration team includes a mix of professionals with a wide range of experience working with this unique population.
Campus and Field Instructors work with students on a day to day basis, helping to implement student achievement plans, and facilitating the expedition planning, independent living skills instruction, and daily hygiene and community living.
Learning In and Beyond The Classroom
The Academy at SOAR operates on a four-week cycle where students rotate time between two-week focused academic study periods on campus in Western NC and two-week expeditionary study adventures off campus throughout the United States. Each expedition provides students with opportunities to develop new skills while at the same time, continuing their academic progress. Unlike traditional school settings, the outdoor setting removes distractions while providing opportunities for students to practice and demonstrate growth in a variety of ways.
Each expedition provides students with opportunities to discover their world and to uncover abilities in themselves they may not have realized.
Unlike traditional school settings, an outdoor adventure school setting is rich in opportunities to push past perceived limits, to utilize teamwork and communication skills, and to practice problem-solving skills with real world applications.
Evidence suggests that spending time in nature can ease symptoms associated with ADHD and learning disabilities, and we find this to be true. (Read more about these studies here and here.)
Merging Academics with Adventure
While at the Academy at SOAR, academic and adventure components are closely linked through purposeful design to meet academic needs while creating experiential opportunities while on expedition.
Quality Academics
Though great care is taken to relate material to expedition locations, the overall goal is to provide a consistent level of instruction for students regardless of their location – classroom or field. Additionally, we seek to connect each lesson to the National Common Core Curriculum.
An experience like no other
The Academy at SOAR’s Expeditions allow students an active role in their education offering opportunities to practice skills while making learning relevant.
At the Academy at SOAR, we try to make education as fun and exciting as possible while combining adventures, activities, and academics such as rock climbing and physics. Each school year we rotate the expedition schedule. This gives students enrolling over multiple years a wide variety of experiences, locations, and growth opportunities.
At SOAR Academy, education is a fun exciting adventure with activities such as rock climbing, canoeing, backpacking, SCUBA diving, whitewater rafting and more.
Each school year we rotate the expedition schedule. This gives students enrolling in multiple years at the Academy at SOAR a variety of experiences and growth opportunities.
Check Out The Academy at SOAR’s Expeditions!
Take a look at past years’ expeditions
Our student centered model actively engages participants in the learning process through instruction in:
Self-Advocacy
Community
Academics
Field Studies
Independent Living
Adventure
Project Based Learning
Empowerment
