Learning at Vail Performance Academy
Full-time In-person
Our flagship program blends immersive, classroom-based instruction with flexible online coursework to support student-athletes on the move. With dedicated teachers, real-world mentors, and experiential learning both locally and during travel, students stay on track no matter where their training or competitions take them.
10:1 Student to teacher ratio.
Full-time Online
This fully online option offers rigorous, project-based courses delivered virtually, combined with personalized tutoring and mentorship during in-person periods. Designed for high-performance students with demanding schedules, it ensures continuity, connection, and academic excellence wherever they are. Service trips also available.
Enrichment
The Enrichment Program allows students enrolled at other schools to take one or more courses at Vail Performance Academy. With access to our expert instructors and experiential electives, students enhance their education while earning credit recognized by their home schools.
How Learning Works
Daily Flow
Each school day begins with focused instruction in core academic subjects such as English, math, science, and social studies. These lessons are led by passionate, local teachers and aligned with rigorous college prep standards. Afternoons are dedicated to supported work time, where students apply what they've learned through independent or group projects, guided closely by teachers who coach, clarify, and extend learning based on student needs.
Weekly Flow
Each week brings a balance of academic structure and creative autonomy. Students spend most weeks immersed in teacher-designed lessons that build foundational knowledge and skill. These lessons prepare them for a hands-on challenge or real-world deliverable linked to one of our rotating three-week courses. On select weeks, the rhythm shifts to focus on special events, workshops, or off-campus learning aligned to that course’s theme or industry.
Three Week Learning Cycles - Studio Courses
Every three weeks, students participate in a specialized, project-based course led by a combination of a local teacher, an industry expert, and a world-class mentor. The first two weeks are spent building knowledge and skills through tailored lessons and fieldwork designed collaboratively by the teacher and mentor. The third week culminates in a capstone experience, either an immersive field trip, workshop, or public presentation, where students apply their learning to real-world challenges. Each course ends with a student deliverable that showcases not just what they know, but what they can do.
Yearlong Global Impact Project
Across the full academic year, students will engage in a deep, multidisciplinary service-learning initiative focused on the stateless Haitian immigrant community in the Bahamas. This is not a one-time trip or event, but an ongoing collaboration. Students will research global policy, design solutions, build cross-cultural partnerships, and contribute meaningfully to the planning and construction of a new school on Abaco Island. This yearlong effort serves as both a unifying academic thread and a powerful reminder that education should prepare students not just for college, but for contribution.