Virtue can be inspired.

Excellence can be taught.

Welcome to Gardner Academy

Gardner Academy prepares students in grades 6-8 to excel academically, lead with integrity, and serve with purpose through a rigorous, values-driven, competency-based education rooted in the Episcopal tradition, classical wisdom, and place-based learning in the Methow Valley.

Mission

Building future leaders of character, curiosity and courage in service to the world.

A Whole-Child Approach

Throughout the week, students develop mastery in academics while also nurturing grit, purpose, leadership, and a sense of belonging. The rhythm of our days reflects our belief that middle school is not only preparation for high school, but for life. Our approach to lifelong learning and education includes six key elements.

Gold Standard Project-Based Learning

Students engage in deep, meaningful learning through hands-on, interdisciplinary projects that solve real-world problems. Aligned with best practices, our projects foster critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication—building both academic mastery and life-ready skills.

Purpose Focused Education

We believe education is about more than achievement—it’s about becoming. Through reflection, service, and meaningful challenge, students explore life’s big questions, discover their unique gifts, and develop the courage to lead lives of meaning and contribution.

Competency Based Education

At Gardner Academy, students’ progress based on mastery, not seat time. Personalized instruction, clear learning targets, and meaningful assessments ensure that each student builds a solid foundation of knowledge and skills at a pace that supports true understanding and lasting growth.

Episcopal Practices

Rooted in the Episcopal tradition, we nurture intellectual curiosity, moral courage, and spiritual depth. Gardner Academy welcomes students of all faiths into a community that values wisdom, integrity, compassion, and justice—encouraging thoughtful dialogue and inclusive exploration of belief and meaning.

Place Based Learning

The Methow Valley is our classroom. From ecology to local history, students engage with the land and community through immersive, real-world learning experiences that cultivate stewardship, wonder, and a strong sense of belonging to both place and purpose.

Classics Based & Socratic Conversation

Through the study of great works in literature, philosophy, history, and the arts, students grapple with timeless questions that shape the human experience. The classics provide a shared foundation for critical thinking, moral reflection, and cultural literacy—connecting students to the enduring story of humanity.

Join us as we reimagine the middle school experience

Upcoming events

Join us at the Winthrop Library to learn more about Gardner Academy and if its right for your family.

April 9 from 6-8pm

April 23 from 6-8pm

June 4 from 6-8 PM: by invitation, interested families and children. Email for location and more info!

Modern wooden library building with large glass windows, an outdoor blue book return box, and a rural landscape background.
Group of hikers walking along a grassy trail through lush greenery and shrubland, surrounded by hills and trees.

Ready to take the next step?

The application portal is now open.

"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education."— The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.