Academics
The Trailhead Program - 8th Grade
Some eighth graders follow a path. Ours carve their own. The Trailhead Program at Vermont Academy is a year-round boarding and day middle school built exclusively for highly competitive winter-sport athletes — beginning and ending the year on our 450-acre Saxtons River campus, while spending the winter training, traveling, and learning with Vermont Academy Mount Snow. The 2026-27 cohort is specifically built for pioneering students and families ready to help write the program's first chapter.
Beyond a vigorous academic year and top-tier training and competition opportunities, students benefit from a focused and planned residential life program designed for middle school students to build the personal and social skills — independence, resilience, self-advocacy — that prepare them for the high school experience ahead.
Beyond a vigorous academic year and top-tier training and competition opportunities, students benefit from a focused and planned residential life program designed for middle school students to build the personal and social skills — independence, resilience, self-advocacy — that prepare them for the high school experience ahead.
BY THE NUMBERS
1 BagJump® airbag training facility
2 Campus locations: Saxtons River and Mount Snow
3 Trimesters: VA → VAMS → VA
2 Campus locations: Saxtons River and Mount Snow
3 Trimesters: VA → VAMS → VA
3 Trips: Austria/Park City/Copper Mountain
1:6 Student-to-coach ratio in VAMS winter training
9 8th graders in our founding cohort
Signature Courses
Humanities COMMUNITY
DOUBLE-PERIOD · ENGLISH + HISTORY · PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
The Story of America
From the American Revolution through the COVID-19 pandemic, explored through primary sources and literature with Vermont as the laboratory for learning.
SKILLS: Written expression, critical reading, information literacy, organization and planning, task initiation, and assignment completion.
DOUBLE-PERIOD · ENGLISH + HISTORY · PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
The Story of America
From the American Revolution through the COVID-19 pandemic, explored through primary sources and literature with Vermont as the laboratory for learning.
SKILLS: Written expression, critical reading, information literacy, organization and planning, task initiation, and assignment completion.
Integrated Science LAND
HANDS-ON INQUIRY · CAMPUS & REGION · SCIENTIFIC METHOD
The Land
Geology, climate science, forestry, and agronomy — the science of the physical world and how we apply that understanding to stewardship and sustainability.
SKILLS: Inquiry, observation, critical thinking, hypothesis development and testing, organization and planning, task initiation, and assignment completion.
HANDS-ON INQUIRY · CAMPUS & REGION · SCIENTIFIC METHOD
The Land
Geology, climate science, forestry, and agronomy — the science of the physical world and how we apply that understanding to stewardship and sustainability.
SKILLS: Inquiry, observation, critical thinking, hypothesis development and testing, organization and planning, task initiation, and assignment completion.
Core Program
Mathematics INDEPENDENCE
Algebra 1 — taught in an inquiry-based format, students explore and discover the ways math plays a role in the world around them.
Algebra 1 — taught in an inquiry-based format, students explore and discover the ways math plays a role in the world around them.
Language & Culture COMMUNITY
An interdisciplinary course exploring how the world communicates, from Europe to Asia to the Americas, with a sampling of major world languages.
Arts & Ingenuity INGENUITY
An exploration of visual and performing arts, woodworking, and robotics using VA's facilities.
Eighth graders may also join Upper School ensembles, plays, and robotics teams.
An exploration of visual and performing arts, woodworking, and robotics using VA's facilities.
Eighth graders may also join Upper School ensembles, plays, and robotics teams.
Residential Life INDEPENDENCE
A dedicated residential model fosters confidence, healthy habits, and a strong sense of belonging, supporting social and emotional growth and high school readiness.
The Center for Teaching and Learning INDEPENDENCE
CTL offers robust academic support through our Math Lab and Strategies Lab for students with diagnosed disabilities or identified needs.
ADDITIONAL FEE APPLIES
To learn more about this unique opportunity, please contact our Assistant Head of School for Enrollment and Student Experience Nora Dock at nora.dock@vermontacademy.org.
Vermont Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding and day school in southern Vermont, serving grades 9-12 plus a postgraduate year.
