Academic Component

Greenbrier Academy offers an engaging experiential and intellectually rigorous college-preparatory curriculum, supplemented by nontraditional learning, within a therapeutic and supportive environment. Our attitude toward learning creates opportunities for young women to thrive and reach their full potential. Students are able to practice meaningful learning experiences in and out of the classroom, and are actively engaged in their education process. Greenbrier’s attentive faculty and small teacher to student ratio contribute to our strong connections with students, offering support and guidance that goes beyond the classroom.

Our Educational Philosophy

Greenbrier Academy creates a culture of learning and respect in which young women are taught how to meet intellectual challenges, work collaboratively, express themselves creatively and be persons of character in the world. We are a caring school community where students are expected to take ownership of their learning, teachers are free to utilize the most effective research-based best practices, and families partner in their daughter's education.

We believe girls learn best when educational experiences are student-centered and in which individuals with a range of interests and abilities work to achieve their personal potential. We believe students need a joyful, intellectually challenging, and creative school environment in which to develop a curious mind and experiential habits for life-long learning.

Greenbrier Academy offers a challenging and integrated curriculum to develop strong intellectual skills and innovative thinking across subjects, including: English, Humanities, Science, Mathematics, History, Technology, Performance, Art, Music, Physical Education, and World Languages and Cultures. Our curriculum develops the whole child—intellectually, emotionally, socially, morally, spiritually, artistically, and physically—all essential in the joy of learning.

We extend learning opportunities through various research-based instructional strategies and models so that students utilize their knowledge and learn to manage themselves in the world. The foundation of our teaching and curricula is the unique "Experiential Learning Cycle", which moves students through the steps of: Experiencing, Reflecting, Generalizing, and Applying.

Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner is actively engaged in posing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems, assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning. Whether used in the classroom, during Service Learning, or on our Adventure education program, the model teaches about developing meaningful and virtuous life experiences while building a democratic school community. This integrated approach to education also produces learning achievements that are authentic and personal, and forms the basis for our students to explore and examine their own values.

The philosophy of Greenbrier Academy also requires parental involvement in their daughter's education and in the school community. This involvement enhances our students’ academic and therapeutic resources and extends their learning opportunities through our family program.

Greenbrier Academy is an independent, girl’s boarding school licensed for Grade 9–12 students by the West Virginia Department of Education.