School Profile: Proctor Academy

We talked with Scott Allenby of Proctor Academy about what families love about Proctor. 

Location: Andover, New Hampshire

Website: https://www.proctoracademy.org/

Grades Served: 9 through 12

Student Body: Roughly 100 students per graduating class.

What makes your school unique?

Proctor Academy offers five term-long, culturally immersive off-campus programs around the globe including a ten week voyage aboard a 135 foot historic tall ship down the eastern seaboard. Proctor also has the nation’s premier integrated academic support program, Learning Skills, serving roughly a third of the student body, but impacting every single student and teacher in a positive way. With an informal learning environment where students address teachers by their first name, many of the barriers to learning are removed and students are able to engage deeply with real world learning opportunities. 

What makes your students unique?

Proctor’s students become incredibly self-aware advocates for their own learning. 

What makes your faculty and staff unique?

Proctor’s faculty and staff live, work, and play at Proctor alongside our students. We are in this educational journey together – from the moment students arrive on campus and go out into the White Mountains for five days as part of Wilderness Orientation to the moment they walk across the stage at graduation. From classroom teachers to advisors to dorm parents to coaches to housekeeping staff, dining service workers, and our maintenance team, every individual who chooses to work at Proctor does so because they care about the students and this school community. 

What should students keep in mind when applying to your school?

Proctor will change your life if you are willing to let it. With more than 80% of students choosing to study off-campus at some point during their Proctor experience, the expectation at Proctor is to step outside your comfort zone. If you are willing to do so, you’ll be amazed at how you will grow. Only apply to Proctor if you are excited to change. 

Which program or recent change are you most excited about at your school?

Proctor recently added a summer immersion learning program in southwestern China where students live with host families and immerse themselves deeply in the Chinese culture. This program continues to evolve our commitment to off-campus learning experiences and is one of three summer programs the school now offers – Proctor in Guatemala and Proctor on the Rosebud Reservation (South Dakota) are the others. 

Describe an impactful program that your school runs.

Since 1972, Mountain Classroom has stood as a cornerstone of Proctor Academy’s commitment to experiential learning. During the winter and spring terms, ten students and two experienced instructors embark on a ten week exploration of the American West, gaining first-hand experience from local activists and guest speakers. Combining outdoor education and academic inquiry, Mountain Classroom students examine the complex and intricate connections between nature and culture. It is the ultimate road trip with ten of your peers who will become your best friends. Check out our blog homepage blogs.proctoracademy.org to see this program and countless others in action. 

Describe what a class at your school looks like.

There is no such thing as a typical class at Proctor – every day is unique. One block you will be studying fauna and flora in Proctor’s 2,500 acre woodlot and the next you will be building a metal sculpture in the black smithing forge. You will travel the globe and get to know our small town community. You will challenge yourself with advanced placement classes and will take art classes. Class at Proctor looks a lot like life should – never dull and always changing.