US-Based Programs

Is your idea of fun studying marine ecology on the coast of Maine? Or learning about community organizing and ecosystems on a tropical island? What about experiencing geology on a fourteen day backpacking trip in the Rockies? Consistent with its belief that learning is a lifelong process that is not necessarily confined to the traditional classroom, the Academy endorses a wide range of “off campus” programs. Ranging in length from a semester to a full year, these programs offer students a chance to experience a different educational style or to immerse themselves in a particular subject matter. All of the programs endorsed by Deerfield Academy maintain the same standard of academic excellence that is expected of students on campus.

Chewonki

Chewonki offers a small number of juniors the chance to live and work on a 400-acre saltwater peninsula with the goal of exploring the interrelationship between people and the environment through courses in natural science, environmental issues, art, history, and literature and writing.

The Island School

The Island School is a semester program for high school sophomores and juniors at Cape Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The major components of The Island School are challenging coursework, the social aspects of community living on an island campus, and interactions with the unique people and environments of Eleuthera.

The Rocky Mountain Semester

The Rocky Mountain Semester (RMS) is a semester-long program offered to high school juniors and seniors in either the fall or spring. It is a rigorous academic program that incorporates both traditional classroom learning and the challenges of wilderness backcountry living in the mountains of Colorado.