Often referred to as the best kept secret in private education, Nawa Academy is a coed, independent boarding school located on the West Coast. As a leader in experiential education, Nawa Academy serves students in both middle school and high school, utilizing a hands-on learning approach.

Examples of children who benefit from experiential learning include nontraditional learners, those with time management, motivational and organizational issues, as well as students with learning disabilities. This includes students with auditory processing, comprehension, visual processing, fluency and decoding, and attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADD / ADHD). Students searching for a dynamic educational experience who are excelling academically may also benefit from one of our traveling or snowboarding programs.

Nawa Academy is a fully accredited, college preparatory boarding school that offers many different educational alternatives to suit many types of students. Imagine a school that travels into areas such as Argentina, Mexico, China, Egypt, and the Philippines to conduct their academic studies, or one that combines academics with snowboarding. Imagine a school with small classes, creative and fun teachers, and learning through doing instead of being confined to a classroom filled with more than thirty students. These are the dreams that have been realized by our students.

Having pioneered the concept of a traveling boarding school in 1992, Nawa Academy has mastered the "on the road" approach to education. Our international traveling programs are an excellent way to see the world, meet other cultures and conduct high school studies. This top-notch academic program also offers a unique ability for students to develop their foreign language skills. University campuses, libraries, research centers, laboratories, museums and wildlife reserves are just a few of the resources often utilized during each 2-3 week educational trip. Students also develop valuable life skills working with nonprofit service organizations and businesses.

Our main (on-campus) program, the California Academy, is located in Northern California. The California Academy offers a low student-to-teacher ratio in academic classes as well as a wide variety of electives from fire science to autoshop. Additionally, an on-site learning lab provides exercises to increase reading comprehension and language fluency skills. Playing baseball, paintball or going on a weekend leadership and team building trip are just a few of the extra curricular activities offered.

Snowboard USA (SUSA) is another program available to our students who are ready to focus on their studies and improve their snowboarding under the guidance of our coaches. Students can apply to join the competitive team or can choose to join the recreational snowboarding group. During the week the students attend classes at our main campus and spend the weekends focusing on improving their snowboarding skills. The off-season consists of conditioning by skateboarding and mountain boarding and once the snow falls, the students can be found on the slopes at Mt. Shasta, Mt. Ashland, Lake Tahoe, and Mt. Hood.

Also offered are three summer school programs that blend academic courses with outdoor adventure. Campers can take summer courses and earn academic credit while rock climbing, caving, backpacking, and whitewater rafting. In addition to summer school, a summer camp experience is also available for younger children. These summer programs are great for improving self-esteem and for fostering self-development. All summer programs include training in leadership development, teambuilding, vertical, cave, and swift water rescue.

Review our website and discover more about our boarding school and adventure summer school programs.

LD types supported: ADD, ADHD, & mild forms of dyslexia, dysgraphia, aspergers, non-verbal learning differences, etc.

School accreditations: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)