College Preparatory Academics World-Class Winter Athletics Adventurous Outdoor Programs Global Travel Experiences

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

What distinguishes The Lowell Whiteman School?The Lowell Whiteman School offers an unmatched combina-tion of college preparatory academics and challenging outdoor experiences, as well as the chance to be a world-class win-ter athlete or a foreign traveler who immerses her or himself in profoundly different cultures. An LWS education allows young people to engage in authentic learning experiences that are intellectual, physical, and life-long.

Where else but on this beautiful campus in Steamboat Springs, Colorado can a young person benefit from living and learning in a small-town atmosphere while simultaneously receiving a global education?

Our Mission: Through a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, challenging wilderness experiences, a premier winter sports program, and unique foreign travel opportunities, The Lowell Whiteman School fosters the personal growth of its students, preparing them to succeed in advanced study, to serve as passionate stewards of our human and natural worlds, and to pursue responsible, creative lives.

Since then, The Lowell Whiteman School has remained true to its founder’s original intentions. Today, students are scholars, explorers, stewards, citizens, athletes, and travelers. As they enthusiastically embrace the various aspects of the experience, each student makes essential and tangible contributions to the success of the school. And they make these contributions in the classroom, in the mountains, and in the world.

LWS Insight-The school sits at 7,000’, and is five miles

outside of Steamboat Springs, a place known for its Western

character, family-friendly community, and Champagne Powder.

What is the history of this school in Colorado’s mountains?

In the 1950’s, Steamboat Springs pioneer Lowell Whiteman (pictured bottom right) ran a boys’ sum-mer camp, exploiting the endless natural resources of Routt County and the surrounding wilderness ar-eas. In 1957, he turned it into a boarding school, hoping to integrate the outdoors and his love of ad-venture with a solid academic program that would cater to active intellects. In many ways, Lowell Whiteman helped invent the idea of “Experiential Education.”

LWS Insight--Classes meet four times each week,

including a once weekly 100-minute block. This combina-

tion allows for academic continuity as well as the extended

opportunity to conduct labs, field work, and presentations.

What makes LWS’s academic program college preparatory?Critical thinking • Intellectual adaptability • Creativity • Written and oral masteryLowell Whiteman’s curriculum is advanced, rigorous, and progressive. In each class, we strive to teach four fundamental skills that make for the best scholars and citizens.

Small class sizes mean that students have to be ready to engage, and be engaged by, their peers. Students use technology in all of their classes, and yet there is a clear sense that it is the relationships between the teachers and students that make the educa-tion at LWS so powerful.

What makes LWS’s academic program college preparatory?

For over five decades, colleges have admired the collection of skills and values that Lowell Whiteman students acquire. LWS graduates are confident, multi-dimensional students ready for the intellectual and social chal-lenges any college will offer. All LWS students apply to college, and a high percentage every year enroll in four-year colleges and universities.

Since 2005, Lowell Whiteman graduates have enrolled in schools as diverse as Air Force Academy, Bates, Bowdoin, Claremont McKenna, Colby, Colorado College, Colorado State, CU Boulder, Dartmouth, Harvard, Lewis & Clark, Middlebury, Pomona, University of Denver, and Whitman.

“The Lowell Whiteman School challenges students and faculty alike to engage in the com-munity, in the classroom, in the outdoors, and around the world. I love the fact that we are a community that deliberately strives to grow and learn through each experience.” --Meg Morse, Director of College Counseling

How do colleges view the LWS Experience?

Who chooses to attend The Lowell Whiteman School?

LWS Insight--In the last decade, LWS has enrolled students from 23 states and eight

countries. Typically, close to half of our students are winter athletes, and the other half

are foreign travelers. We strive to have a population of 60% boarding, and 40% day.

The Lowell Whiteman School caters to hard-working, enthusiastic, and adventuresome young adults who are ready to be direct participants in their own educations.

Families and students choose LWS because they want a multi-dimensional and robust educational experience that transcends the traditional classroom. They value relationships, experiences, and challenges, and understand that the chance to work closely with dynamic and experienced teachers is a privilege not to be taken lightly. The one thing all LWS students share is the belief that they have a great deal to contribute to the world, and that The Lowell Whiteman School is a terrific foundation from which to grow.

What is student life like?

With a student body of around 100, students are endlessly connected. Everyone at LWS is essential to the school, and the programs--from the academic to the physical to the social--all work to make ev-ery student understand that they are part of a learn-ing community larger than her or himself.

The combination of intellectual and physical activ-ities means that a LWS student has a well-rounded experience that teaches independence and inter-dependence, citizenship and leadership. Students graduate from LWS inspired and equipped to make a difference in the world.

“LWS’s academic program is really great because of the close relation-ships you form with your teachers and the strong college preparatory curriculum. Where else can you take great classes in the morning, go skiing in the afternoon, and gain the foundation to be a citizen of the world?” --M. Marshall, California

Why do students travel for a month every spring?

“The family I stayed with in Swazi-land took nothing for granted, not even their water. It made me think about all the stuff we have, and how we can perhaps be happier with less.” --C. Lakin, Dubai

LWS Insight--The first Foreign Travel trip was in 1958, and went to

Puerto Vallarta. School founder Lowell Whiteman decided that staying in

Steamboat in April was counter-productive, so the entire school loaded up in

buses and headed south for two months.

Since 1958, Lowell Whiteman students have been visiting some of the world’s most interesting places. This is not a comfortable tourist program, but rather a genuine and immersed cultural experience that for many students becomes a defining piece of their lives. Three guiding principles form the core of the Foreign Travel Program:

Connect with the world • Support local communities • Minimize the impact of travel

In groups of 10, with two LWS faculty members, students venture forth into the world for a month of homestays, service learning projects, and excursions into the country’s natural environment. To prepare for the experience, students spend several months learning about the cultures and countries to which they travel, and upon arriving in the country, begin to establish relationships with local populations.

Where in the world do the foreign travelers go?

“Our travel program is a mixture of traditional education blended with cultural exploration. Travel ignites my passion for contributing to the growth of our students and to those we encounter in the world.” --Margi Missling-Root, Director of Experiential Education

The point of the trip is to challenge and inspire, and allow our students to explore the vastness of the world’s cultures in order to see how truly connected we all really are. In recent years, the month-long trips have gone to places as diverse as

Argentina Bhutan BoliviaChile China GreenlandGuatemala India Mongolia Peru Senegal Tanzania

With the world as our classroom, and experience our teacher, students return home with the glow of sea-soned travelers, confident that they can, and have, done remarkable things.

Students with athletic ambitions have the privilege to train and compete with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, the pre-eminent winter sports club in the US. Winter student-athletes compete in several disciplines, includ-ing alpine, Nordic, snowboarding, freestyle, Nordic combined, telemark, and big mountain.

The best thing about the relationship between LWS and the SSWSC is that our student-athletes get the benefit of working with world-class coaches AND great teachers.

How does the Winter Sports Program work?

LWS Insight--The SSWSC has produced 78 Winter Olympians, more

than any other club in the US. In the last decade, it has been named “Club of

the Year” three times. LWS claims 15 Winter Olympians in our alumni body.

“I couldn’t do what I love doing--school and cross country skiing--anywhere else but LWS.”-L. Newman, Colorado

Where Else?

Who coaches the winter student-athletes?

“The SSWSC is committed to continuing Steam-boat’s unprecedented legacy of success. Our coach-ing staff has goals of producing champions at ev-ery age group and racing level. The programs are aggressive and we utilize the latest in sports sci-ence research to bring out the best in every athlete. The advantage we have in partnering with LWS is that we can solely focus on athletics and LWS can in return be our complement in the academic arena. As partners, we are an unparalleled force nationally.” --Deb Armstrong, SSWSC Coach and Olympic Gold Medalist `84

The SSWSC recruits world-class coaches to train their athletes, so LWS skiers, riders, and jumpers receive the very best in coaching. The coaching staffs are made up of former Olympians, top college racers, and internationally recognized coaches who have chosen Steamboat Springs because of the SSWSC’s reputation, facilities, and the town’s commitment to winter athletic excellence.

Clearly, this symbiotic relationship works, as demonstrated by the recent success of alum Johnny Spillane `99 (pictured bottom right), who won three medals at the Vancouver games.

Why do LWS students camp 10 nights per year?Part of our mission is to give young people the opportunity to interact with the natural world. Each fall there are three trips that students participate in, from an Orientation Trip the first week of school, to a skills-building trip in September, to the famed Desert Week in Octo-ber, a week of canyoneering, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, or horsepacking. On each trip, students practice essential camp-ing skills, such as Leave No Trace camping and basic navigational skills. And just as importantly, students learn the timeless art of enjoying life out of doors and in the company of their peers, without all of modern life’s distractions.

The smiles on the faces of the students around the campfire, and the adventure stories they have to tell for the rest of their lives, are proof positive that spending a few nights under the stars every year is the right thing to do.

“I had never been on a back-packing trip before, and I wasn’t sure I could do it. I loved it, and now I have much more confidence in myself.” --K. Parish, Alabama

How do the students stay active?

The Lowell Whiteman School caters to the active and physically exuberant young person. Because many of our students compete in the Winter Sports Program, we don’t have competitive sports teams. Instead, students choose between a range of activities, including rock climbing, horse riding, kayaking, and mountain biking. In the winter, students ski and ride at Steamboat several times each week.

LWS Insight--Students need to be in shape when

the school year begins in August. The two-night

Orientation Trip goes out the first week, and often the

campsites are four miles in and above 10,000’.

What do alums do after their LWS Experience?

Brett Buckles - Former US Ski team member and now a journalist • David Lamb - Financial advisor and College Champion Skier • Leigh Cohen - Wall St. Financial Job • Jessica Weber - Therapist • Tasha Pongracz - Radiologist • Johnny May - PhD in Physical Therapy • Max Marno - US Ski Team • Jared Yarnell - Med School in Israel • Emily Kelly - Law School - second year • David Greeley - Flight navigator in the US Navy • Pep Fujas - Pro skier • True Baker - Veterinarian • Demetra Panagakos - Financial advisor • Hennie Kashiwa - Ski Coach at DU • Michelle Gorgone - U.S. Olympic snowboarder • Andrew Girdler - Former LWS employee, nautical engineer • Matt Kennedy - Film-ographer - 3 Peaks in 3 Weeks, Stormchasers • Travis Walker - Works for a humanitarian organization based out of India • EJ Oppenheimer - Non-profit organization that helps native farmers in Tanzania • Jenny Hauer - Masters in Science, fieldwork in Canada tracking animals • Emily Colin and Rayna Weiss - Non-profit organization, bicycling the length of South America • Dillon Dennis - Helicopter pilot and flight in-structor living in Hawaii • Kyle Ewing - Seven Ribbons Foundation, climbing the Seven Peaks to raise money for cancer • Alex Levin - Senior in college, traveled the length of Africa this summer • Brendan Nicholson - Extreme sport junkie and wing suit guy - check him out on YouTube

“The opportunities at LWS are UNBELIEVABLE, and the experiences are un-matched--how many schools allow you to climb a 14,000’ mountain eight times by the time you graduate? You don’t just get an education at The Lowell Whiteman School, you learn about the world and how to position yourself in it!” -David Zavik `05

The phrase you hear from Lowell Whiteman graduates is, “My experience at LWS made me feel like I could do anything.” Here’s a selected list of graduates from the last 10 years, and how they’re making a difference in the world.

How does a small mountain school offer a 21st century education?

LWS Insight--The school mascot is the Penguin,

which makes perfect sense. Penguins are reliable, like to

travel, love to play in the snow, and are really, really cool.

At the Lowell Whiteman School, academics combine with adventure in a way that creates students who are confident scholars, commu-nity leaders, and citizens of the world. Where else can you take AP Calculus, kayak for a week, ski more than 30 times, and travel for a month to a country like Chile, all in the same school year?

Living and learning in this small but worldly and sophisticated community offers students the opportunity to broaden their perspectives, push themselves intellectually and physi-cally, and be accountable young people who enthusiastically make contributions to their world. Lowell Whiteman helps create young adults with curiosity, integrity, and a passion for learning, which is exactly what the 21st century needs.

(970) 879-1350 p | (970) 879-0506 f | admissions@lws.edu 42605 County Road 36, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

Accredited by ACIS; member of TABS, NAIS, and WBSA.

An education as large as the world since 1957. www.lws.edu