Anacapa School is now enrolling students for the coming school year, which begins Sept. 5. Located in downtown Santa Barbara, the school’s historic buildings are part of the El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park.

Anacapa School, which opened in 1981, is a nonsectarian, not-for-profit, fully accredited coeducational school for grades 7-12.

Offering a diverse and rich educational environment, the school has what it calls the Anacapa Difference — a transformational curriculum rooted in experiential and project-based teaching and learning within a tight-knit, supportive community. The student-to-teacher ratio is 5:1.

The Anacapa motto “Be Brilliant. Chase Adventure” describes the school’s philosophy of supporting the whole student on their individual journeys of discovery and self-individuation.

Chasing adventure might mean testing one’s mettle alongside trusted adults on one of Anacapa’s outdoors expeditions, or engaging in a student-led discussion on a great work of literature in an English class. 

Anacapa’s experiential education model might involve sustained, hands-on projects such as murals, stop-motion animated films, podcasts, blogs, mock trials, model bridges, or garden plots.

Community engagement is another pillar of experiential learning. The campus’ downtown location puts Anacapa in a good position to partner with local businesses, nonprofit groups, and government agencies.

Examples of that are the Museum as Muse project, in partnership with the nearby Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and an internship program with the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, also close to campus.

To develop social and emotional learning, Anacapa’s Our Human Development program partners with organizations such as AHA! and YouthWell in an ongoing effort to sustain a culture of student wellness and belonging.

For information about enrolling in Anacapa School, visit admissions@anacapaschool.org or call 805-965-0228.