Alzar School is a

semester school A semester school is a school that complements a student's secondary education by providing them with the opportunity to step out of their regular school for half an academic year and step into a uniquely different educational setting while continui ...

based in Cascade, Idaho, and Patagonia, Chile, that serves high school sophomores and juniors. For either a fall or spring semester 35-45 students from all across the world join Alzar School for a fully accredited semester of high school. It is built upon the "Six Foundations" of Academics, Leadership Training, Outdoor Adventure, Cultural Exchange, Service Learning, and Environmental Stewardship. The school is accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission which is an accreditation division of AdvancED.

Semester school

During a semester at Alzar School, students live at the 100-acre campus in

Cascade, Idaho Cascade is a rural city in and the county seat of Valley County, Idaho, United States. The population was 939 at the 2010 census, down from 997 in 2000.

and spend six weeks living abroad in Chile. Students participate in significant outdoor expeditions. Additionally, students continue their traditional academic courses (science, math, history, English, Spanish, etc.).

Idaho campus

The Alzar School campus is located on the North Fork of the Payette River, in

Valley County, Idaho Valley County is a rural County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 11,746. The county seat is Cascade, Idaho, Cascade, and the largest city is McCall, ...

. The campus has over 1 mile of river frontage and is just downstream of Kelly's Whitewater Park. The campus is near the main road but still feels secluded and wild. There is a town nearby and medical assistance is readily available.

Chile

Every semester, Alzar School spends approximately 6 weeks in Chile. Fall semesters end in Chile and spring semesters begin in Chile. While in Chile, students continue their academic curriculum with faculty traveling with the group. Students will spend approximately three weeks in small Chilean towns.

History

Alzar School is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was founded in 2004 by Kristin Bierle and Sean Bierle. From 2007-2011, the school offered three-week expeditions to Idaho/California, Mexico, and Chile. These expeditions included service projects such as improving the playground at an orphanage in Chile, hauling school supplies into a remote rural school in Mexico, and working with the US Forest Service to do ecological projects in California and Idaho.

Name

''Alzar'' is a Spanish verb that translates to 'to rise, elevate, lift, boost'. It is used in many different expressions, such as ''alzar el vuelo'' ('to take flight'), ''alzar la carpa'' ('to pitch a tent'), ''alzar la vela'' ('to set sail').

Camp Cup Challenge

The Camp Cup Challenge is a whitewater paddling event involving several summer camps from North Carolina and other states. The Camp Cup Challenge is put on by the Alzar School and hosted by

Nantahala Outdoor Center Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) is a commercial outdoor guide service and retail store located at 13077 Highway 19 West, Bryson City, NC 28713. It opened in 1972 when Payson, Aurelia Kennedy and Horace Holden Sr. took over the old Tote 'N Tarry Mo ...

on the

Nantahala River The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Boise Weekly Article on Alzar School
Schools in Idaho Semester schools Environmental education in the United States Outdoor education organizations