Northwest Academy

Amazing school! Northwest Academy transformed my sons` lives. Because of the small class size and school, students develop close relationships with the faculty. The students enjoy the meaningful and creative work and learn to do their homework without parental nagging. Northwest Academy graduates adults who are curious, articulate, and inclusive. The location means the students experience downtown Portland's vibrant cultural institutions. My sons are able to talk confidently with adults, navigate an urban environment, and solve problems independently.You should check out the school if you are looking for an accepting environment that nurtures and supports achievement, risk-taking, hard work and questioning.

NW Academy has amazing academics, especially in the writing/humanities and math areas. The classes resemble college seminars with 12 to 15 kids clustered around a table with a teacher discussing the class topics. And the arts classes are the best, with amazing teachers who are leaders in their field, whether it is painting, theater, voice, music, etc. I like that it is all part of the class day, and the creative approach infuses the academic classes as well. The students are all there because they love learning -- and there's a culture of respect for differences and appreciation of lifelong learning that really meshes with our values. The teachers are inspirational, and the small class sizes mean that the adults set the tone and are strong role models for the kids.

The Northwest Academy has provided my children with an incredible mix of artistic and academic challenges. The dedicated teaching staff takes the time to get to know each individual student and I have always found staff to respond quickly to my questions or concerns. Although this is an ''arts focused'' school, we have found the academics to be far superior to those which our eldest child received in our local school. A great deal of attention is paid to the development of solid writing skills, but the artistic responses provide an opportunity for students to show what they know in a wide variety of formats. Although no school is perfect, this one is pretty close.