In the fall of 1973, a small group of Proctor students packed up a minivan with tents, camping gear, and rock climbing equipment and set off for the desert Southwest of the United States. Inspired by the Outward Bound program at Hurricane Island, Maine, Proctor’s Mountain Classroom program was a novel experiment in experiential education.

The program married college preparatory academic coursework in American literature, Native American studies, desert ecology, and water resource management to dramatic, hands-on, adventure-based learning. Students lived with Navaho people, camped solo in the desert, rock-climbed at Joshua Tree, and delved into border issues on both sides of the Rio Grande.

The success of Mountain Classroom prompted Proctor Academy to implement other experiential programs, which ultimately shaped the mission of the school. This year, ten students each trimester (a ten-week term) study Spanish from Proctor teachers while living with Spanish families in Segovia, Spain. Twenty-two students spend the fall term on Ocean Classroom, sailing the 130-foot schooner Harvey Gamage from Portland, Maine to San Juan, Puerto Rico. A program exploring European art is based in Aix-en-Provence, France. A handful of students will study at the Cloud Forest School in Monteverde, Costa Rica. And the granddaddy of all – Mountain Classroom – will head west both winter and spring terms.

On October 4 and 5, alumni of the Mountain Classroom program – including several members of that first expedition – will return to Proctor to share stories, photos, and memories as a way to celebrate the program’s 40th year!