Thacher’s curriculum is deeply rooted in this philosophy, meaning courses are built around giving students opportunities to ask and explore questions that don’t have known answers, as well as take on complex real-world problems without obvious solutions.
In fact, our location makes Thacher an ideal lab for this kind of hands-on, applied learning across the STEM curriculum and beyond, with a unique chaparral ecosystem, dark night skies, and proximity to local environmental initiatives all at our fingertips. At the state-of-the-art
Thacher Observatory, students put their knowledge of astronomy, physics, and computer programming to use while collaborating on real-world research projects—and even contributing to
published scientific research. Just down the road, biology and chemistry students help test and maintain aquatic habitats at the internationally regarded
Turtle Sanctuary. Students studying veterinary medicine engage in hands-on work with the school’s herd of horses, as well as the hogs and chickens that are among the many student-driven
Environmental Sustainability initiatives on campus.
The goal is to engage students in driving and animating their own course of learning, and encouraging them to follow their genuine interests, curiosity, and questions toward new and meaningful horizons.