Tahoe Expedition Academy is founded on the belief that students learn best when immersed in the real world, when they grapple with questions and challenges that occur naturally. Not only does this reinforce our assertion that young people can make a positive difference in the world RIGHT NOW, but the work they do is meaningful and they know it, which builds their confidence as young leaders.

Fieldwork at TEA begins in Pre-K, where students practice forest safety and leave no trace policies in and around our area lakes, streams and mountains and culminates with our Seniors studying Chilean waterways and indigenous cultures during a 10 day expedition, where they will consider questions of resource allocation, stakeholder priorities, and the economic and social impacts

According to self-reports, our graduates are thriving when they move beyond our borders. Not only are they flourishing at amazing universities (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Colby, Colorado College, Georgetown, Stanford, UC Berkeley/Davis/Irvine, and the University of British Columbia to name just a few), but they have gone on to become entrepreneurs, Olympic Skiers, and environmental engineers. During our annual Alumni Panel, they reflect eloquently that the conflict resolution, self-advocacy and flexibility they developed while at TEA serve them daily.

“The small class size and really spending a lot of time with people out in the field, you get pretty good at conflict resolution. And that really translates directly into the workplace. You need to be able to know when to lead, know when to follow, know when to say, “Oh, this is going a direction I don’t really like, but I can tack into this wind.”  – Mitchell Martin, Class of 2017

From day one, TEA’s core value is to disrupt the educational status quo by updating how, what, where, and why students learn. Education is the most powerful tool to change the world. But traditional education was designed for a different era and not designed to adapt. We are excited this year to launch TEA’s Community Outreach and Innovative Educator Training to collaborate with other schools, educators and organizations to improve lives through educational opportunities and transformative experiences. To achieve this end, we are driving three primary initiatives: Community Outreach Programs, Innovative Educator Training and the development of a Campus where innovative education happens.

Moving into our twelfth year, we are blessed with a thriving, increasing student body, a remarkable collection of creative, compassionate and capable TEAchers, and a passionate, visionary TEAm of experienced leaders. This growth and good fortune is a direct result of the generosity of our supporters, who have understood the value of taking students outside of their comfort zones so they can grapple with complex real world problems, develop compassion and empathy, and have a positive impact on the world around them.

A gift to this campaign is more than just a contribution to our robust scholarship program where we provide $1.4 million in aid to 32% of our student body, or to our remarkable teachers who inspire, challenge and care for our students, or to our unique learning model committed to disrupting traditional education on a national level, it is a recognition that when we invest in our youth, the resulting positive impact is immeasurable.