At The Leelanau School, we offer day and boarding students in grades 9-12 an educational experience where integrated learning support, individualized attention, small classes, and a commitment to whole-person wellness are at the center of what we do. Students discover and develop their strengths as both students and citizens with the guidance of engaged faculty committed to cultivating a school where students know and embrace themselves as learners – no matter how they learn.
A BETTER WAY TO LEARN
Leelanau’s rich, supportive environment is a community where teachers love to teach and the focus is on how to learn, rather than what to learn. We are a haven for intelligent and creative students: the bright, the talented, the inquisitive who may also feel unchallenged, restless, and anxious.
Experiential Learning
Academics
Academics at The Leelanau School go beyond hands on. As a Michigan boarding school dedicated to experiential learning, we engage all your senses to include kinesthetic, visual, and verbal education. Through our methods, students are immersed in the learning experience. When you go out to collect data from the Crystal River for Biology class, you will not only be asked to note what the instrumental readings are, but also what you observe through sight, sound and smell.
Music, Visual Arts & Theater
At The Leelanau School creativity is encouraged and students are welcome to explore each arts discipline. Parents are often amazed that their “non-singing” child has a beautiful voice or that their camera shy child feels perfectly comfortable on the other side of the lens!
You don’t have to come with a talent, we will help you discover and develop your talents.
Health, Wellness, & Nutrition
The Leelanau School feels that students need to develop healthy lifestyles for their lifetimes. Our overall wellness program is designed around this premise by providing activities and guidance.
Is your child excited to go to school each morning?
Or has every morning become a struggle of avoidance, negotiation, and stress?
Perhaps there are frequent stomachaches, sleepless Sunday nights, missed buses, or pleas to stay home. You worry. You push. You accommodate. But school keeps becoming harder rather than easier.
School refusal is rarely about laziness or defiance. More often, it signals that a student’s current environment has become overwhelming—or simply is not the right fit.
Sometimes the answer is not more pressure, another reward, or a better morning routine. Sometimes the environment needs to change.
A smaller, more relational school can offer a fresh start: teachers who know the student well, predictable routines, meaningful support, and a community where belonging comes before performance.
At The Leelanau School, we help students rediscover that school can be something to look forward to.
If this sounds familiar, perhaps it is time to consider a different setting.
Learn more at bit.ly/47dCfuY ...
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From a small classroom in the 1940s to the streets of Málaga, Spain, the way we learn at The Leelanau School has evolved quite a bit. However, one thing has remained constant: our commitment to offer the best educational experience possible.
Decades ago, students learned together in a simple classroom, building knowledge through conversation and curiosity. Today, our students take that same spirit of learning beyond the campus by exploring new cultures, walking through historic cities, practicing language, and experiencing the world firsthand.
At Leelanau, experiential learning means turning the world into a classroom. Whether it's a scientific investigation of the local wilderness or an unforgettable adventure across the globe, we believe the most meaningful learning happens when students can live it.
The classroom may look different now, but the adventure of learning continues.
1940s Classroom 📷: Michael Huey
#betterwaytolearn #experientiallearning #throwbackthursday ...
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Not every student needs a bigger school or a more conventional one. Some need a place where they are known, understood, and encouraged to become more fully themselves.
If a student comes to mind, please share Leelanau with their family and encourage them to connect with our Admissions Office.
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As the first day of school gets closer, some families are watching school-based anxiety return. The worrying. The dread. The difficult mornings. The Sunday-night anxiety. The quiet question: “Are we really going to do this all over again?”
We shouldn’t simply accept that as a normal part of adolescence.
School can be a place where students feel safe, connected, challenged—and genuinely excited to learn.
If your child is already dreading the school year ahead, perhaps it is worth asking why.
To learn more, read our latest blog linked below.
Addressing Anxiety and Looking Forward to School ...
Addressing Anxiety and Looking Forward to School
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School anxiety and dread don’t have to define high school. Discover how schools can help students feel safe, connected, and excited to learn.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Mark your calendars! We look forward to hosting the Glen Arbor Players for another wonderful production. This time, they're taking us down south to Savannah, Georgia for a heartfelt comedy about friendship, love, and life. We wish the Glen Arbor Players a successful run, and hope you can join us for six shows' worth of fun! ...
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Last chance to catch some entertainment by the fire! If you'd like to end the summer with some poetry, music, and stories, come on down to the beach by The Leelanau School tonight. Call (231) 334-5800 for more information. We'll see you there! ...
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Here's a glimpse of some iconic places around the school while we get ready for everyone to rejoin us for another great year! What's your favorite spot on campus? Let us know in the comments!
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You know what makes Leelanau special. If you know a student who might thrive in our small, welcoming, relationship-centered community, please share Leelanau with their family and encourage them to connect with our Admissions Office.
Sometimes the right school is discovered through someone who already knows it well.
bit.ly/4cliUfI ...
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For many students, the greatest loss isn't another poor grade.
It's hope.
In this article, I explore why restoring a young person's belief that success is still possible may be the first step toward helping them thrive again.
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The Greatest Casualty Isn't a Transcript. It's Hope. - The Leelanau School
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Is your bright child struggling in school? Learn why academic challenges often begin with a loss of hope—and how the right school can restore confidence.0 CommentsComment on Facebook