Pioneering a New Approach to Education
Who we are
Headwaters Community School is an independent, coeducational high school serving grades 9 through 12. We are a small school empowering students to let their questions steer their path on a rich and meaningful learning experience.
A headwater is where something begins, small and clear, before it gathers force and shapes the land it moves through. That is how we think about education. Every life of purpose begins somewhere, and we begin with curiosity.
Our mission
To cultivate a love of learning and a sense of wonder, giving students the courage to follow their curiosity, discover their unique gifts, and develop the wisdom and compassion to live in reciprocity with their community and the wider world.
What we believe
Learning begins with a question. We believe learning shouldn’t be confined to a classroom or a textbook. At Headwaters, students follow their curiosity through rigorous academics, hands-on projects, mentorship, and real-world experiences, building the skills to think critically, create, and solve problems on their own terms.
Learning is built on relationships. None of this happens in isolation. Students work alongside teachers who know them well and peers who learn to navigate conflict and build community together. Honest, restorative practices create a place safe enough to take risks, mess up, pursue big questions, and discover who you are.
Education is for the whole person. We care not only about what a student knows, but how they think, how they relate to others, and what they value. Understanding the world begins with understanding the place where you stand. Our students come to know their community and the natural world around them, find their place within both, and understand the responsibilities they carry toward each.
Meaningful work is rooted in connection. Through authentic experiences created in reciprocity with our community, students learn that real work is grounded in connection, purpose, and service.
How learning happens here
Rigorous academics. A demanding college-preparatory program that asks students to engage deeply with ideas and to think for themselves.
Projects that matter. Extended, hands-on work that takes a real question seriously and produces something worth sharing.
Mentorship. Adults who know each student well, and who guide them toward the work that fits their gifts.
Real-world experience. Learning that leaves the building: in the field, in the community, and in partnership with the people and places around us.
Restorative community. Practices that teach students to repair harm, resolve conflict, and hold one another with honesty and care.
Our graduates
We envision graduates who know themselves, think critically, take intellectual and creative risks, and recognize their capacity to contribute. Rooted in their community and attentive to the wider world, Headwaters students leave prepared not simply for what comes next, but to help shape it.
Access and affordability
We believe a home at Headwaters should not be out of reach for the families who want it. Through sliding-scale tuition, scholarships, and community support, we are committed to making this education accessible to every qualified student, regardless of financial circumstance.
Who we are (governance)
Headwaters Community School is an independent nonprofit organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes. The School is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and led day to day by a Head of School.
“This is our work, to discover what we can give. Isn’t this the purpose of education, to learn the nature of
your own gifts and how to use them for good in the world?”