Student Experience
Student Life
Knowledge, Skills, Character, Reflection
Kents Hill School's innovative Four-Dimensional (4D) Academic Curriculum extends far beyond the classroom. By placing equal importance on knowledge, skills, character, and reflection throughout all aspects of a student's life at Kents Hill, we are taking steps to build an experience that is balanced, purposeful, and impactful.
By partnering with faculty mentors who function as "lead learners," students are challenged to learn about themselves and others, their talents and strengths, and how they can make a difference. They become part of a family that celebrates the accomplishments of each individual and the time-honored values that have made Kents Hill strong for nearly 200 years. What we do at Kents Hill, from our time together in the classroom to social events on the weekends, is shaped by our core values.
By partnering with faculty mentors who function as "lead learners," students are challenged to learn about themselves and others, their talents and strengths, and how they can make a difference. They become part of a family that celebrates the accomplishments of each individual and the time-honored values that have made Kents Hill strong for nearly 200 years. What we do at Kents Hill, from our time together in the classroom to social events on the weekends, is shaped by our core values.
What is Kents Hill School?
My home.
- Kents Hill Student
My home.
- Kents Hill Student
"Everyone is so genuine. People here don't care about how popular and slick you are. They care about you as a person - who you really are without being compared to anyone else. Your teachers and classmates want you to be the best version of yourself ... My friends, teachers, and coaches have drastically impacted my life."
- Stuart Vine '18
Signature Program: DIRIGO
DIRIGO (“I Lead”) helps young people reach their full potential through intentional and developmentally-appropriate programming. It spans a student’s entire experience at Kents Hill School and serves as the central "character" component of the 4D Academic Curriculum. All programs take advantage of our newly created “H-Block,” a dedicated time during the weekly academic schedule for special projects and initiatives.
People. Place. Purpose. Potential. Where will Kents Hill lead you?
- Freshman participate in the Fresh Start program, where they discover their people and place at Kents Hill. In partnership with faculty mentors, students work through individual and shared activities that create awareness of social and emotional health. For instance, they attend breakfast with their classmates and start the day together, as well as participate in an evening “Fresh Start" study program focused on academic coaching and organizational skills. A three-trimester course rotation in Art, Music, Performance, and Woodworking builds creativity and confidence in the arts.
- Sophomores work through Project Wayfinder, a year-long curriculum from Stanford University’s d.school designed to help young people step into life with purpose. Faculty members trained at Brown University guide students through a number of individual and shared activities that tap into character, values, skills, and reflection. Resulting is a heightened awareness of personal strengths, opportunities, and direction.
- Juniors partner with Head of School Christopher S. Cheney and faculty mentors for a number of social experiments to promote individual and collective potential. During the first part of the year, students work through an Entrepreneurial Leadership curriculum focused on the role that Kents Hill values, individual values, and entrepreneurial mindset play in their journey. College Counseling takes center stage for the second part of the program, where students tackle who they are and what they want after their Kents Hill experience.
- Seniors and Postgraduates discover their place in the world. Comprehensive, individualized college guidance kicks-off the program, followed by a group design thinking project that tackles an important community need. Meadow Davis, Assistant Head of School with over 12 years of experience at Bowdoin College, will then lead students through a number of workshops focused on life after Kents Hill. The goal is to ensure that they are prepared for the novel opportunities and challenges of higher education and beyond.
People. Place. Purpose. Potential. Where will Kents Hill lead you?
Advising Program
Our advising program is about making connections that last a lifetime. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor at the beginning of the school year who is dedicated to providing support and guidance, both in formal gatherings and impromptu meetings.
Whether a student is seeking advice on academics, athletics, social issues, or simply needs to know that someone is rooting for them, advisors are there.
Advisors meet individually with students during a period built into the daily schedule and share weekly lunches and/or dinners with their groups, ensuring that students are both recognized as individuals and connected to a larger group. Advisors are also the main point of contact between Kents Hill School and parents, ensuring that families are involved, informed, and engaged no matter where they are in the world.
Whether a student is seeking advice on academics, athletics, social issues, or simply needs to know that someone is rooting for them, advisors are there.
Advisors meet individually with students during a period built into the daily schedule and share weekly lunches and/or dinners with their groups, ensuring that students are both recognized as individuals and connected to a larger group. Advisors are also the main point of contact between Kents Hill School and parents, ensuring that families are involved, informed, and engaged no matter where they are in the world.
"At Kents Hill faculty and teachers make it their mission to see you succeed."
- William Lafford '16
"I first began learning to believe in myself at Kents Hill. It was there that I gained confidence and started to figure out who I am."
- Samuel Omowale Aduayi ’14
Traditions and Activities
We Love Traditions
If there's one thing that unites the Kents Hill School community past, present, and future - it's our traditions. While we can't share all of them until you arrive on campus ... here's a sneak peek.
Ring the Bell
What's that you hear? It's the bell of historic Bearce Hall - constructed in 1873 - ringing loud and clear across campus to celebrate team victories, commencement exercises, the birth of a child, and more.
Class Projects
The first week of school is affectionately known as "Projects Week." Freshmen stay at Kents Hill to discover our rich traditions and rituals; Sophomores visit Acadia National Park to hike, bike, sea kayak, and swim; Juniors stay at a lakeside luxury summer camp; while Seniors and Postgraduates head north for a guided whitewater rafting trip.
Names in the Bell Tower
Bearce Hall's iconic golden bell tower does more than house the bell, it's home to the signature of every single Kents Hill School student who attended Freshmen Class Projects, during which they also write a ...
Letter to Your Future Self
What will you do over the next four years? Who will you become? Where will this journey take you? Freshmen contemplate these questions while writing letters to themselves. The letters are signed and sealed with a custom wax stamp to be delivered back to the student the day before graduation.
Winter Carnival
The best way to describe Winter Carnival is to see it. Six color teams battle it out during a week of zany competitions, tasks, and challenges. Past themes have included "Inner Child," "Twilight Zone," and "Endless Summer" and "Kents Hill Heroes." The orange team took the top spot in 2018. Who will reign in 2019?
Set in Stone
When a student leaves Kents Hill for their next great adventure, a piece of them aways remains here. Each student's name is engraved on a brick that runs along Alumni Walkway from central campus to the Bibby and Harold Alfond Dining Commons.
Happiness Happens Here
Typical Weekend
The Kents Hill experience extends far beyond the classroom. Evening and weekend activities may include ...
- Skiing or snowboarding at the Alpine Training Center
- Baking cookies with a dorm parents or advisor,
- Yoga in the Alcaide Studio
- Volunteering at a local animal shelter or food pantry
- A scary movie marathon in a "haunted" space
- Hiking New England's most spectacular mountains
- A campus-wide scavenger hunt
- Events at Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin
- An art opening at the Gruss-Bard Gallery
- Ping-pong in the Student Center
- Singing karaoke or dancing at a student-sponsored event
- And so much more!
Clubs and Activities
Student-led clubs include ... Admissions Tour Guides, Altruism Society, Amnesty International, Coding Club, Community Service Club, Drama Club, Food Committee, Foodies Club, Foreign Film Club, Green Team, Literary Magazine, Model United Nations, Peer Counselors, Peer Tutors, Proctors, Rocketry Club, Robotics Club, Student Ambassadors, Student Council, Student Newspaper, The Group (Diversity and Inclusion), and Yearbook.
Since 1824, Kents Hill School has been dedicated to providing transformative experiences rooted in the power of community, character, and core values.