Realms makes all of the learning relevant to me. The teachers go out of their way to make it how I learn best. If you're not in a class at your level, or if there isn't a class at your level, then an independent study class will be set up for you. Also, the tight knit classes are really great. There are no outcasts or groups, the whole class is just good friends all around. And on top of that all, the international trips make Realms irresistible.
We watched our incredible bright and cheerful child become more and more stressed and depressed as she progressed through elementary school. She has ADD and felt like an "outsider" in the public gifted program. The positive change in her attitude and self-esteem since she's been at Realms is incredible. She's accepted here - all of the kids are. We have our old Elizabeth back. Sending her to Realms is easily one of the best decisions we've ever made.
All the kids are friendly here and the teachers are concerned about the students even outside of class. We often get to chose what we want to do and the way we want to do it. We can play and explore and it makes learning way more interesting. At Realms you are actually experiencing life as you learn - you're right in the action and it's fun.
We have had both of our children at Realms and have absolutely loved it. The teachers have expressed a genuine care that goes the extra, extra, extra mile. We have come to feel a sense of family here. The arts programs are exceptional with significant support for individualized talents. We were able to support our son's passion for snowboarding with the winter program. The foundation for philosophical thinking and excellence in academic standards are also outstanding. We have explored several public schools with excellent test scores, but still highly regard the close, family feeling at Realms. We have been so grateful to the staff for working with us on our funding of this special, lifetime investment in our childrens' present and futures. We will be forever grateful for the memories and clear achievements our children made at Realms. Thank you to all of you!
I attended this school for three years (9-12) I graduated a year earlier than anyone expected with a GPA that would have been impossible in my previous school. The international trips taken every March were exciting, and informative in ways to live in the real world. I now live independently half way across the country (Rochester, N.Y) and thank Realms for the knowledge they gave me, the support they still give me, and all of the book and real world skills I couldn’t have gotten any where else. I recommend Realms to anyone with a child with A.D.D. (I have it and it didn’t matter there) and to anyone else looking for a special place to send their children
Because of the trips I went on with Realms, I am not afraid to push the limits of my capabilities, and I know that I can succeed anywhere.
All my life I went to a regular public school. I received good grades and seemed to be following right in line as a typical student. When I moved on to junior high, however, this was not the case. I began to get very frustrated with the teachers. I felt like we were doing the same things over and over and never learning anything new. I felt like going to school was wasting my time. I asked my teachers if I could do something productive, instead of the common assignments like copying out of a book. My teachers only saw me as trying to cause trouble by questioning their ways of teaching. I got very bored in the classroom and began spending most of my time in the halls. One day I realized that if I really wanted to learn, wasting my days in the halls of school wasn’t going to teach me anything. So, I dropped out in the middle of 8th grade. I got a job and completed my entire eighth grade curriculum in two weeks. This proved to me that going to school was a complete waste of time. Then I discovered Realms of Inquiry. Realms is a school where learning is far from boring. Most of the learning is hands on. Students are encouraged to learn about things they are interested in and move at their own pace. The school has an extensive outdoor program. Activities include mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, caving, rafting. There are several challenging trips throughout the year. The beginning of the year starts with a two week backpacking trip. Students learn basic survival skills and are challenged physically. The highlight of the year is the spring trip. An entire month is spent in a foreign country. Students are in charge of every aspect of the trip. They decide where to go, and what to do when they get there. They plan transportation, budget, accommodations, itinerary, and all other aspects that go into planning a trip. The budget is minimal and most of the trips are spent in tents or the rugged accommodations of small villages. As a student at Realms, I had the opportunity to travel to Belize, Guatemala, Nepal, Peru, Thailand, and Laos. I found every trip to be an incredible learning experience. I learned more about the economy, history, and culture of the world from these trips than I could ever have learned in any classroom or from any book. In addition I learned a lot of real life skills. Skills like budgeting my money, communicating with others, doing my own laundry by hand, and being self sufficient. My experiences in high school have only increased my desire to learn more about the world.
I never knew that I was smart. I lived life in a bubble. I have diverse beliefs, and for that I was ridiculed. I felt oppressed and consequently did not even try to learn. My parents tried everything to get me to learn. I switched schools, tried the alternative high school route, home study. Nothing worked, and slowly I became lethargic. School was such a chore and for years I planned to drop out when I turned 16, the day it was legal. Now I am 16, pushing 17. I find myself telling my friends that I like school, and the words almost knock me over. I have discovered so much about myself in the time I have attended Realms. For instance, I am smart. I have learned a lot about the world and how it works, and I have learned about interaction with other human beings, how to communicate and compromise. Without Realms, I would be just another adolescent adding to today’s problems, not learning to find solutions, as I am now.
I think in many ways Realms has saved my life, and I am grateful. Before I came to Realms, I had no desire to learn, initiate, or work for anything. I was failing so miserably at trying to conform to society that, as I look back on it, I fell into a hard life. . . . Intellectually, I need the stimulation and challenge that Realms creates for me. I need the freedom to independently work and the structure to allow open minded learning. I need the atmosphere of home and good friends: acceptance. I need the leeway to design my own courses, challenge myself, and initiate my own intellectual stimulation. On the other hand, I need the strong hands to help me when I lose my balance a little. I find all these things at Realms.
Realms has helped me to grow and form my own opinions. I’ve learned not to be so concerned with what everyone thinks. To be myself is one of the hardest, but most important things I’ve learned to do.
I know myself; my strengths, my weaknesses. When I came to Realms, I was afraid of my weaknesses, afraid to display them. Realms have taught me tolerance, courage, love; it has humbled me. As I prepare to enter the next stage of life, I leave with confidence and a heart full of love.
Realms opened up such possibilities for me and gave me new choices in my life that I thought I had lost out on. I learned so much about myself and my gifts and the heights that I could reach.
In the time that Scotty attended Realms, I watched a radical and rapid change in my child. He was in with kids like himself—and it was okay to be bright and articulate. He was challenged to undertake new skills and widen his horizons. But the most important change was that he finally felt that he belonged. He was accepted, integrated into the class, and self-confident. . . . This child’s emotional and mental survival is a direct result of the nurturing and challenging environment at Realms. My son attended Realms for 5 years on campus, and another 2 years by distance learning (5th-12th grade). He blossomed into a bright, articulate, and self-confident young man. He loved the intellectual depth of the classes, the challenge of the outings and excitement of the international trips. It was the best thing that ever happened to him - and our family. He found bright kids like himself there and a nurturing environment. Ross and Will taught him how to be a responsible adult. I can't recommend this school enough. It was a fantastic experience for all of us. We still feel like family!