Academics
Intersession
Practice Doesn't Make Perfect, Exploration Make Explorers
Intersession gives students opportunities for exploration, risk-taking, travel, community engagement, and leadership, allowing them to deepen and expand their knowledge in an in-depth and experiential way.
An 8-day immersive experience that falls after the winter break and before the second semester begins, Intersession is a time when students can dig deeply into a subject they are already interested in or investigate a new area of possible interest. Intersession is also designed to be fun and engaging, creating space for students to discover new interests and explore subjects or themes in a way that cannot be accomplished during the normal school day.
Intersession courses are decidedly “real world” in the sense that the learning or experiences take place in real-world environments and teach real-world skills: everything from scientific observation in nature to cooking to backpacking or camping; from yoga and meditation to community service and engineering and computer programming projects.
Each year, we offer a wide variety of on-campus options, and students also have the opportunity to participate in travel Intersessions through the Passport Program.
An 8-day immersive experience that falls after the winter break and before the second semester begins, Intersession is a time when students can dig deeply into a subject they are already interested in or investigate a new area of possible interest. Intersession is also designed to be fun and engaging, creating space for students to discover new interests and explore subjects or themes in a way that cannot be accomplished during the normal school day.
Intersession courses are decidedly “real world” in the sense that the learning or experiences take place in real-world environments and teach real-world skills: everything from scientific observation in nature to cooking to backpacking or camping; from yoga and meditation to community service and engineering and computer programming projects.
Each year, we offer a wide variety of on-campus options, and students also have the opportunity to participate in travel Intersessions through the Passport Program.
Recent Intersession Courses
In past Intersessions, students have:
- produced short documentary films
- composed, recorded, and mixed original music
- designed, built, and delivered handmade items to local nonprofits
- studied coastal ecology while performing service work in Northern California parklands
- created murals, jewelry, metal sculpture, watercolor paintings, and more
- combined mornings of CrossFit exercise with afternoons of cooking and baking
- learned the basics of sports journalism and broadcasting
- completed study or service in countires around the world through the Passport Program
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Sonoma Academy Is...
Sonoma Academy is the only private, independent, college preparatory high school in Sonoma County. On our beautiful campus nestled at the base of Taylor Mountain in Southeastern Santa Rosa, our students are able to explore their interests and passions in a rigorous and inspiring environment that develops a lifelong love of learning and prepares them for college and beyond.
