Ecole d’Humanité

Surrounded by the awe-inspiring peaks of the Swiss Alps, the Ecole d’Humanité is an international progressive boarding school and is home to students and teachers from 25 countries. The stunning natural setting provides a wholesome learning environment and exceptional opportunities for hiking, skiing, climbing, and other outdoor activities. Our 150 students live in fifteen “families,” each headed by two or three teachers. The Ecole strives to realize a simple, environmentally responsible lifestyle. By limiting material and electronic consumerism we create a space where students can engage directly and honestly with other people and with the natural world.

Our academic program aims to promote meaningful understanding rather than surface knowledge. Small classes allow for individualized instruction and demand active participation. We are an official testing center for the College Board SAT exams and for exams leading to the AP International Diploma. Recent graduates have been accepted to Oxford, Brown, NYU, Oberlin, Smith, Reed, Exeter, Kings College London, the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, and to the University of Basel in Switzerland. To balance the intensive academic program students devote afternoons to the arts, sports, and practical work. Blacksmithing, skiing or snowboarding, woodworking, pottery, rock-climbing, theater, music, gardening, and animal husbandry are just a few of the fields students can choose to explore. Twice a year the school sets out in small groups on 6-day hikes into the mountains of Switzerland and Italy.