Blair Academy

The quality that truly distinguishes a Blair education is our commitment to knowing our students—and the excellent and caring relationships among faculty and students that result. Those relationships form the cornerstones of our superior academic preparation and make the Blair experience so personally enriching. Our robust and challenging curriculum, rich with opportunities for collaborative, interdisciplinary learning, our distinctive programs for athletes and artists, and our meaningful leadership, travel, and service offerings.
Amid all of these outstanding opportunities, the quality that truly distinguishes a Blair education is our commitment to knowing our students—and the unique and caring relationships among faculty and students that result. Those relationships form the cornerstones of our superior academic preparation and make the Blair experience so personally enriching. They set Blair apart as a leader in education.
Meaningfully knowing our students offers them a unique and competitive advantage, not just in preparation for college but also for a lifetime of achievement. We invest in discovering and understanding our students’ talents, interests and personalities by taking a multi-tiered approach to academic advising by engaging with students in every aspect of campus life and meeting throughout the year as an entire faculty to review each student’s progress and development. We are thus able to thoughtfully connect our students to the learning opportunities best suited to challenge and inspire them, develop their character, and stretch their abilities.
At Blair, we create trust and connections that empower our students to step outside their comfort zones to achieve things they thought were impossible while becoming confident and capable young leaders. This is the Blair advantage.
We know our students. Blair teachers are experts in their subject areas, and they know our students exceptionally well. The full faculty meets four times a year to discuss each student’s progress. Faculty members are active in every aspect of student life, and each student is guided by both an assigned academic monitor and an advisor of his or her choosing. Our knowledge of students across contexts results in profoundly impactful relationships and helps teachers expertly guide, mentor, and challenge students in classrooms and beyond.
Excellent communication is a top priority. The ability to concisely and compellingly convey one’s message is an essential leadership skill at Blair; teaching the art of effective communication is among our highest priorities. Our cross-curricular communication initiative and myriad public speaking opportunities prepare students to advocate for themselves and engage with others in ways that build vital relationships. As a School, we are committed to communicating purposefully and effectively with parents, students, alumni, and with each other as colleagues.
Superior academic preparation inspires a lifetime of learning. Blair’s robust curriculum features rigorous traditional coursework and innovative electives. Spirited class discussion—that often carries over into the dorms and dining hall—hands-on projects and collaborative problem-solving are all features of our academic program. In every classroom, as teachers challenge students with new ideas and skills, they ensure that students learn how to learn, preparing them to confidently and creatively address the demands of college and our ever-changing global society.
At Blair, integrity, responsibility, and respect for others shape campus life. With kindness and empathy, our inclusive and dynamic community welcomes people of many backgrounds as we embrace challenges and opportunities, close relationships are forged, and learning on many levels results. Engaging classrooms and learning to lead and work together on athletic teams and in the arts help students become independent and confident adults who eagerly step outside their comfort zones—and who remain connected to the global Blair community for life.
Blair students look beyond themselves by engaging in the world around them and serving others. Our traditions of School Meeting, Chapel and Vespers, along with The Blair Leadership Stories Project and conversations on campus, help students develop a strong character and value system as they become global citizens. On-campus speakers, local and international service endeavors, and school break travel opportunities help students apply academic studies to real-world issues, creating impactful connections and experiences.
Our knowledge of individual students distinguishes us as a School, and we are well aware that such knowledge is possible only in a community small enough for genuine relationships. Yet, providing a variety of programs and diversity of student experiences requires a particular breadth and scale. At Blair, we believe that being a mid-size residential school allows us to achieve both goals. We are committed to being a “boarding school” and offering our day students a superb educational experience as well.
The Blair experience is a personalized one that provides students many opportunities to achieve excellence and to become service-minded leaders and adults of outstanding character. Yet, the Blair experience and diploma are never-ending in themselves: We expect students to attend a college or university that furthers their intellectual and personal development and to achieve worthwhile accomplishments in life. Our foundation of relationship-based learning gives students a competitive advantage as they navigate college and the professional world.