Project Week
A week is set aside in early autumn for students to participate as a group in study and activities away from the classroom. Each trip involves camping, practical experience, and usually community service and complements Main Lesson blocks and other academics.

• Ninth graders typically work on a biodynamic farm;
• Tenth graders spend a week with the Northern Cheyenne Nation in Montana in work and study with Native American elders there;
• Eleventh graders work with the Nature Conservancy doing field projects, usually in Colorado;
• Twelfth graders travel to the Wyoming desert for a wilderness solo and retreat, to seek guidance for their senior year and their future.

Community Service
Shining Mountain is committed to helping students learn about their community and discover how to actively participate in and contribute to it. In addition to the annual Project Week, classes undertake various service projects throughout the school year. By the time they graduate, Shining Mountain students have completed approximately 120 hours of community service.

PeaceJam
This international program brings high school students in contact with Nobel Laureates and other students who have an interest in social activism. Past conferences have included the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela. The PeaceJam group meets weekly to discuss such issues as racism, violence, what it means to be a peacemaker, and social justice.

Foreign Exchange
During tenth or eleventh grade students may choose to study at a Waldorf school abroad, usually on an exchange basis, for a semester or a full year. The goal is to increase foreign language proficiency and stimulate intercultural understanding. While most exchanges are with German or Spanish speaking students, it is also possible to study in English-speaking countries such as Australia. The High School also welcomes foreign students on a non-exchange basis.

Social Life
All High School students have the opportunity to participate in outings that are designed specifically to support a healthy mixing of students across the grades: dances, bowling, a two-day overnight ski trip, and periodically, a spring camping trip. In addition, through mixed art electives, sports, and music classes, students at Shining Mountain find themselves making friends with those who are from different grades and who might have different interests. As a small High School of 70 – 80 students, students find both the quality and variety of peer connections to be high. An active Student Council, comprised of elected representatives from all grades, organizes dances and other social events and serves as a bridge to bring issues of student concern to the faculty.

Drama
Drama is an integral part of the curriculum, and Shining Mountain students actively participate in yearly theatrical productions, often tied in to the curriculum. As adolescents ponder who they are and seek various means to express themselves, drama offers them a healthy, creative outlet and the opportunity to “try on” a new personality. During the ninth grade block on Tragedy and Comedy, ninth graders will study improvisation exercises. In tenth grade during a course called The Greeks, students perform a Greek play. Eleventh graders study and perform Shakespeare, and twelfth graders perform a classic play or Shakespeare.

All-High School Musical
Every other year the entire student population takes on the production of an all-high school musical: singing, acting, set design, lighting, costumes, and publicity. Recent productions include Guys and Dolls, Damn Yankees, and West Side Story.

Senior Placements
For three weeks during May, seniors leave Boulder and perform community service at various locations and for different organizations around the country. Placements can be urban or rural, with young children, the handicapped, incarcerated mothers, or the elderly. As the seniors prepare to leave the familiarity of school, family, and friends, the three-week placement gives them a taste of participating in an expanded world.

Senior Projects
Seniors plan, design, and research a topic of personal interest over the course of their senior year. Working with a mentor, each student makes a formal presentation to the faculty and parent community in the spring. Senior projects give students the opportunity to explore their personal passions. Some past projects have included building a sailboat, studying and performing a Hindu sacred dance, interning with a state Senator and helping to draft legislation, and studying acupuncture.

We have seen our son develop and expand his abilities beyond our expectations through the opportunities and environment in the High School. We are particularly grateful for the orientation of the teachers to more than just developing competent and successful youth. The faculty’s interest in helping young adults develop their sense of compassion for others less fortunate, and developing their interest in finding solutions for our world’s future, is part of what we appreciate.

Connirea Andrea, Shining Mountain parent