Through a combination of challenging academics, intense arts experiences, outdoor adventure, long-term projects and community service, West Sound Academy students become self-directed individuals well prepared to tackle the rigors of higher education. Our curriculum is integrated so students may see the whole of life. It is thematic so they may conjure connections in a seemingly fragmented world. It is textured with the arts so they may come to value human expression.

We have a curriculum which is both active and one which encourages reflection. We give time to think and to solve the riddles of economics, of science, of perspective; but we also give time to contemplate the color of the Sound on a stormy day. We give time to care for each other and for the ideas we generate. Above all, we have a commitment to ensure both the academic and moral integrity of our education.

We teach through performance standards, asking students to demonstrate their understanding of curricular content. Because this requires more active participation, students come to value their role in learning. Our students are not passive, but are engaged in managing their own education.

Connections between disciplines occur through the arts, through a fully integrated Humanities program, and through the perspectives of our faculty. We hire physics teachers who are concert cellists, Humanities teachers who professionally practice mime, and literary arts teachers who are certified to lead wilderness trips. Our integration is both planned and natural.

The result is students who are motivated to learn, and who understand whole systems.