LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK

Slide
The education your child needs right now.
A safe place to live, learn, and grow.
Slide
The education your child needs right now.
A safe place to live, learn, and grow.

LEARNING

A small school where
children make big gains in life.

Humanities teacher Caroline Hlavack Perry reveals the essence of North Country School’s approach to the education of children in their foundational learning years.

A healthy balance of tactile and technical

At North Country School, technology is tapped into with intention, never used as a distraction. We limit its use beyond the classroom so that our children can interact and engage with each other, their teachers and house parents, and their surroundings.

Yes, we’ll teach your child robotics and how to code. We also have art every day—from weaving, pottery, and woodworking to music, painting, and performing arts. Our all-school theater productions are where your child will put all these skills together…

 Consider the gift of a North Country School education for your child.

“We’re the first generation to spend most of our experiences of the world mediated, coming through screens instead of through contact with each other or contact with the natural world. … The very gracing and helpful message of being out in the woods or on top of the mountain is that you are a small part of something very large … and beautiful, orderly, and meaningful. And that is a great gift.”

Environmental activist, author, and parent Bill McKibben

LIVING

Academic and social progress in the mountains.

In our 220-acre campus nestled in six-million acres of woods and mountains, your child will be nurtured and challenged in our classrooms as well as the great outdoors.

With nature as their master teacher, students in grades four through nine are free to push, stretch, and grow while learning to respect one another and assume responsibility for the community of which they are a vital part.

They’re able to develop resilience and self-reliance that will serve them well on the road ahead.

Distancing together as a family.

While New York State guidelines require a minimum of 15 square-feet per student, our small class sizes enable us to provide twice that.

And while we adhere to core practices like mask wearing, COVID testing, and social distancing — in close collaboration with the nearby Adirondack Health Center — nine covered outdoor classrooms allow students and teachers to socially distance without wearing masks.

Students are able to live and relax unmasked in our family houses. And with plexiglass barriers installed at every table in the dining room, students can safely enjoy meals together.

An education both personal and fascinating.

“Every day was an adventure, whether academically or out in nature, and the exciting, talented, caring staff is really what makes it the transformative experience it was and still is.”

Alumnus Matt Salinger

LIFE CYCLES

Understanding the cycles of life is easier on a sustainable farm surrounded by the natural world.

Understanding the cycles of life is an important part of how we live and learn. On our diversified farm, your child will develop a sense of personal productivity that no urban school can provide. North Country students care for our land and animals and grow and harvest our food. They have barn and garden chores. They discover their place in our community, and why they matter. And they discover their place in, and responsibility to, the natural world. Our students are surrounded by mountains to climb, trees to name, and creeks, lakes and streams to explore and learn from. Here, nature indeed is our master teacher.

“Partnering with the true pioneer in edible education has been incredibly valuable for the Edible Schoolyard Project. North Country School and Camp Treetops have been giving children the experience of being a part of nature and the food system for 90 years, and their experience is invaluable.”

Alice Waters, Chef, Activist and Founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project, reflecting on North Country School’s leadership in edible education.

Meet our garden manager, Tess Faller, and see our barn and gardens.

An open and airy respite

Ready for a safe and secluded alternative?

We are committed to providing a safe and stimulating place to live, learn and grow. Our doors remain open throughout the year for in-person tours, virtual personalized tours and virtual Q&A chats.

Greet the academic year with confidence.

Find out if the unique experience of North Country School is right for your child.