Headwaters Academy
&
Montana Wilderness School
Strengthening Experiential Education Together
From classroom to backcountry, Headwaters Academy and Montana Wilderness School are aligned by a belief in learning that is rigorous, relational, and rooted in real experience.
Why this Partnership Exists
Headwaters Academy and Montana Wilderness School have long shared a belief that meaningful learning happens when young people are challenged, supported, and trusted to grow.
While our programs differ in form, one rooted in academic inquiry, the other in expeditionary field experience, our values are deeply aligned: intellectual curiosity, leadership, responsibility, and connection to the world beyond oneself.
This partnership is about strengthening that shared mission, not changing it.
TWO SEPARATE IDENTITIES,
CLEARLY HELD
Headwaters
Academy
Headwaters Academy is an intellectual community where curious and motivated learners connect rigorous academic inquiry with joyful adventure, strong relationships, and experiential learning inside and outside the classroom.
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Headwaters brings long term academic leadership, systems, and sustainability that support programs built to last.
Montana Wilderness
School
Montana Wilderness School continues to offer high-challenge, mentorship-based expeditions rooted in technical wilderness skills and personal leadership.
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MWS remains deeply committed to its field culture: small groups, experienced instructors, real terrain, and the belief that leadership is learned through responsibility, resilience, and presence in wild places.​
A CONTINUUM OF LEARNING
Together, Headwaters Academy and Montana Wilderness School represent two strands of the same educational philosophy.
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One emphasizes deep academic inquiry, intellectual curiosity, and relationship-based learning. The other emphasizes expeditionary challenge, leadership, and connection to the natural world. Woven together, they form a more complete continuum, supporting young people as thinkers, adventurers, and leaders.
HOW WE’RE MOVING FORWARD (2025–2026)
The 2025–2026 year is focused on strengthening, not scaling.
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Our priorities include:​
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Clarity of program identity and communication
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Relationship-based outreach and enrollment
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Instructor support and training
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Listening closely to families, partners, and alumni​
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This approach allows both organizations to move forward with integrity, care, and long-term vision.
