Testimonials

My education at Avalon didn't just encourage, but required me to be thoughtful in planning our projects and holding myself accountable for deadlines and deliverables while also stoking the fires of general curiosity.

Inclusiveness!

Project based. Students are valued and considered individuals with different needs. The advisory concept. The true acceptance of students races , genders, disabilities.

We love the opportunity for independent learning and the sense of community our son feels among is classmates and peers. My son has really benefited from the extracurricular activities (like Robotics, D and D, and he is about to join another club.)

Relationships, small learning community, inclusive community.

It has given our child the chance to be “seen” and to make mistakes in a smaller environment.

Avalon advisors earned my trust by engaging my passions and interests. They harnessed my strengths and talents to help me explore a world of knowledge and opportunities confidently, and skillfully.

Avalon and its staff were excellent at preparing me for the independent learning and work output environment that students should expect in higher education and most professional settings. They pushed me to reach my potential by guiding to me areas where I could excel and be recognized for that achievement.

To this day I think Avalon contributed more positively to my life than any other single institution, educational or otherwise. I arrived there in a pretty rough place, had more or less given up on education and I don't think I really believed I'd even graduate high school. Four years later I graduated - I had rediscovered my love of learning. Avalon rekindled my intellectual curiosity, bolstered my confidence, and helped me remember that I cared about the world and wanted to at least try to make it a slightly less crumby place. Avalon was borderline life-saving for me; words can't express how much I love and appreciate the place.

Avalon encourages students who are committed to learning to meet and exceed their goals. For example, I graduated with almost 50 credits at the end of my senior year. I frequently exceeded my goals on the time I spent working on my learning through projects.

Avalon has been committed to student empowerment by giving students a choice of how they learn. Some students learn best in a classroom, and some learn best working on an independent project. Avalon gives students that choice. Avalon advisors also empowers students by going by their first name. This puts students and advisors on a more equal level, so students can see advisors as part of their community instead of someone who simply has authority over them.

I always tell people I wouldn't have graduated on time if I hadn't gone to Avalon.

The advisor model is very effective. My child has forged positive, supportive relationships with their advisors which helps them be successful in all their classes. There is also a great parent community at Avalon.

My advisors encouraged me to actively engage in the political process rather than sit on the sidelines just because I was too young to vote. As a result, I spent part of my sophomore year working on a political campaign with another student and utilized that volunteer experience towards meeting civic & government standards. One of the candidates we helped to elect won by only a small handful of votes. Avalon empowered us to get involved with our community and helped us to be the change we wanted to see in the world.

The system of advisories builds a fantastic community and helped me develop as a young person. The guidance of my advisor lead me to robotics which helped me find my degree path and career.