Alzar brings students to the intersection of engaging learning, cultural exchange and outdoor adventure.
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Come live and learn in the peaks of Patagonia and along the rivers of Idaho for a semester of high school. Laughter, challenge, and adventure define your days at Alzar School. Engaging academic curriculum is intentionally crafted to connect to student experiences on the trail and abroad in Chile. Small class sizes and strong relationships with faculty who live, study, and travel alongside the students result in a community of learners dedicated to leadership education. This is high school.
Alzar Gap offers high school graduates with life-changing experiences while offering tangible leadership training in stunning destinations. If you are seeking something more than the traditional university path and are excited to learn more about yourself, gain a broader world view, and make authentic connections with diverse people in wild and untamed parts of the world, then Alzar Gap is your next step.
Alzar’s mission is to build leaders who positively impact the world. In addition to the semester school and gap programs, we offer special opportunities to participate in an Alzar experience.
Each cohort of students joins us from across the country and world for an educational experience unlike any other. Imagine having thoughtful leadership discussions with the Patagonian Andes as a backdrop. Live in a yurt along the North Fork of the Payette River. Don’t just take our word for it, hear from Alzar alumni themselves.
"I expect that Alzar School helped me with my college applications, but I know that the unparalleled growth, broader perspective, and deeper understanding of life I gained there were a true differentiator."
"I came into Alzar not sure about what I wanted from life or from my studies. My learning experience at Alzar is, to this day, one of the most powerful academic experiences I’ve had."
"Alzar made me more confident in myself by pushing me out of my comfort zone. I created life-long friendships and have memories of adventures I will never forget. If you are even considering applying to Alzar, do it! It was one of the best decisions I have ever made."
“Natalie felt well-prepared to pick up where she left off after coming back from Alzar School. Noticeably, her advocacy for self and others made a huge leap when she returned to school here. She loved her time there!”
“I have learned not to take the easy way out and to push through challenging situations. I will not forget my lessons here and I will keep pushing myself and keep stepping out of my comfort zone.”
“I now speak up in difficult situations, take risks, and embrace challenges. I learned to roll myself back up during my semester at Alzar School and it marked my transition into adulthood.”
Intentionally crafted, engaging academic semesters for students in 10th and 11th grade, using the peaks of Patagonia and the rivers of Idaho as classrooms.
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Life-changing experiential education for high school graduates. Field-based learning via expeditions, immersions, and exchanges in Patagonia.
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Special opportunities to participate in an Alzar experience in short courses, events, and on river expeditions.
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#ThrowbackThursday We’re going back to Fall 2019 with Semester 15. Jillian and Juliet, former students, and Margaret, a former teaching fellow, are all back at Alzar, this time as staff. This feels very full circle for all of us.
We asked Jillian what it’s like to be back at Alzar:
“It’s so amazing to be back at Alzar after 7 years for so many reasons!
I owe this place so much; it introduced me to some of my closest friends, favorite hobbies, and some beautiful places. So being here and getting the opportunity to introduce teenagers to the school that changed my life feels so powerful.
And to top it all off, I get to work with some of my favorite people from my semester. Margaret has been an inspiration to me since I was a student here, and now I get to work with her, it’s amazing! And Juliet and I have endless memories of laughing so hard together, and getting to experience that again after many years of being on our own journeys is so special. We have all grown so much, but it feels like no time has passed at all. I know that high school me would be so stoked to know that I’m here again.”
Ready to make 2027–28 your Alzar Semester? 🏔️🎉
Run, don’t walk. APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!!
Spend an academic semester in Chile and the American West, backpack and whitewater paddle in some of the world’s most beautiful places, and find out what you’re capable of.
Start your application at hsapply.alzar.org and take the first step toward your Alzar journey. 🌎
We can’t wait to meet you!
#SemesterSchool
A Weekend at Alzar… 🤘🌊
This weekend, students jumped into skills clinics, learning swiftwater skills and practicing kayaking. Our favorite part? Seeing how stoked they are to learn something new, challenge themselves, and get on the water.
#StaffSpotlight This week, we’re highlighting a returning staff member, Avery! Avery teaches English and our Capstone Leadership Course. Here’s a quick Q&A:
📚Fun Fact: Avery loves to seek out the best sitting rocks on her adventures to read a good book!
Q: What does leadership look like at Alzar?
A: “I love teaching leadership because, beyond the classroom, you get to see students transform from the beginning to the end of the semester. Students learn who they are, how to work together, and what it means to show up as a leader in their own lives and in their community. Maybe most importantly, they learn to trust themselves. For me, that ‘aha’ moment, when a student realizes what they’re capable of, is the most impactful part of being a teacher at Alzar.”
Before students ever head out on expeditions, they practice the skills they’ll need to be successful in the field.
This week, students learned how to set up their mids, the tents they’ll use on expeditions, learned how to read a map, and calculated the river flow rate in math class.
Not a bad way to spend the first week of classes.
#AlzarSchool #AlzarSemester #ExperientialLearning #OutdoorEducation
Semester 29 has moved into their yurts and the adventure is already underway! 🤘
Our students spent their first weekend rafting the Cabarton River and hiking to Blue Lake, getting a glimpse of what the semester has in store.
To our teachers, faculty, and students: Happy First Day of Classes!! We’re so excited for the journey ahead with this incredible group.
#SemesterSchool
#AlzarSchool
#WeBuildLeaders
#ExperientalEducation
Welcome, Semester 29!
We’re so excited for the semester ahead with this new group of excellent students. We can’t wait for them to experience all that Idaho and Chile have to offer.
To the families who trusted us with this experience: thank you. We know sending your student away is a big leap, and we’re grateful to be part of their journey.
The adventure is just getting started!
Meet our Teachers & CEAs:
These are the people who will be teaching, paddling, backpacking, camping, laughing, problem-solving, and exploring alongside Alzar students.
At Alzar, our teachers don’t just teach.
They’re part of the adventure. And for students, that means learning alongside people who are willing to take on challenges with them, and help them discover what they’re capable of.
We’re counting down the days until students arrive and the real adventure begins!
Alzar School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or national and ethnic origin in its administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship programs, and other school administered programs for students, or in its employment practices. Alzar School is not affiliated with any religious or political organization. Alzar School is an equal opportunity service provider and operates on special use permits from the Klamath, Boise, Payette, and Shasta-Trinity National Forests.
