Powder Term:
Carve Your Path
Now enrolling class of 2025
26 teens.
Zero smartphones.
One life-changing adventure.
Powder Term is a fully immersive, non-traditional learning experience that empowers 6th-9th graders to stretch their limits in every way imaginable. For five weeks, students trade mind-numbing lectures for accelerated academics, smartphones for expert ski instruction, and everyday pressures for unforgettable adventures in the mountains of southwest Colorado.
Program Dates
The 2025 experience will run from January 4th through February 8th. Get in touch today to inquire about filling one of our final spots. You’re also welcome to apply for a future session as long as the participant will be in their 6th-, 7th-, 8th-, or 9th- grade school year during the desired term.
Location
Our campus is located just a mile from the award-winning Purgatory Mountain Resort in the San Juan mountains outside Durango, Colorado. This rugged winter wonderland features over 1,600 acres of skiable terrain, including more than 100 trails, 13 lifts, and a truly epic 2,000+ foot vertical drop.
Living Accomodations
When they’re not out hitting the slopes, students spend their time at the iconic Black Diamond Lodge, nestled next to the majestic Hermosa Cliffs and surrounded by the Weminuche Wilderness.
The Lodge is our central hub for classes, meals, and indoor group activities, and it provides plenty of cozy spaces for hanging out and sleeping. This communal-style living environment fosters independence and self-reliance while forging deep friendships that last a lifetime.
Phone-Free Philosophy
Between old-school classrooms, new-school screen addictions, and the constant pressure of social media, teens today have little opportunity to stretch their limits. They need more space to explore who they really are, what they really care about, and what they’re really capable of.
That's why outside of self-driven academic courses, Powder Term students are completely unplugged. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live free from the burden of infinite scrolling.
A Day in the PT Life
A typical day for Powder Term students begins with a 7:45 AM wakeup, hearty breakfast, and quick cleanup. For the rest of the morning, students dive into schoolwork, then after lunch, they suit up and hit the slopes.
Evenings alternate between independent study and group activities, followed by dinner, cleanup, community chores, and wind down before 10 PM lights out. All meals are healthy and balanced, prepared by our professional on-site chef.
On Free Days, students take a breather from their rigorous weekday schedule to enjoy activities like hiking, visiting hot springs, and playing games.
Academics
Every student is capable of academic excellence if given the right mix of challenge and agency to suit their individual needs. We embrace hybrid courses that combine the latest self-paced, adaptive learning platforms and Socratic, discussion-style education.
We also create authentic, real-world learning experiences that allow students to see the value of their skills and knowledge in action. It all comes together in a program focused on six key courses developed by expert educators:
Intensive core Math via Khan Academy
Intensive core English via NoRedInk and Lexia
Hands-on, project-based Science & Social Studies
A 12-session group Leadership Course
Ski Program
A healthy mind and body elevate each other—and we believe the two are equally important. Our rigorous ski program gets teens off the couch and into the great outdoors for an invigorating and unforgettable experience, including:
20 days of coached skiing with world-class, expert instructors
Lessons tailored to any level of proficiency, from beginner to competitive
10 days of uncoached free skiing
Mountain access through nearby Purgatory Resort, featuring world-renowned trails and some of the most consistent, abundant snow in southwest Colorado
Best of all, participants get a chance to explore and expand their physical and mental limits as they experience the deep fulfillment that comes from pursuing mastery of a single skill.
The Dads Behind Powder Term
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Jamie Matthews
Jamie and his wife of over 20 years, Mary Clare, have three awesome kids, two of whom attended a study abroad program called “The Winter Term” in Switzerland. This program—and the life-changing experiences it imparted—became the inspiration for Powder Term.
Jamie has a long history of creating organizations dedicated to helping kids thrive. He co-founded Explore Austin, a six-year mentoring and outdoor leadership program for 6th-12th graders, as well as The Pond Hockey Club, which employs USA Hockey’s American Development Model for kids ages 5-15.
Jamie also taught at the Acton School of Business from 2005 to 2020 and is a volunteer Pilot for Angel Flight South Central and Pilots N Paws.
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Garrett Weber-Gale
Garrett is a dedicated husband and father of two utterly delightful children. He’s spent much of his life as an elite, competitive swimmer, earning two Olympic Gold medals, four world records, eight American records, and an ESPY award for Best Moment in 2008.
Garrett has spoken about physical fitness and nutrition at The White House and TEDxYouth, and he’s helped thousands of kids at swim clinics across the country learn how to develop the habits and mindset needed to realize their dreams.
Garrett started his first business at the age of 12 and is a former CEO of the Acton School of Business—rated #1 Best Administered MBA Program and #1 Most Competitive MBA in the USA by Princeton Review.
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Justin Moss
With two fun kids and one fun wife, Justin is thrilled to be part of an all around fun family. As our Director of Education, he believes learning should be hyper-contextual, application-based, and—you guessed it—fun!
Justin’s primary career goal is to improve others’ quality of life. To that end, he’s led a team in creating, editing, and publishing over 10,000 pages of unique, project-based school curriculum. He also leads learning and experience design initiatives for an international network of K-12 schools, as well as change management initiatives focused on customer experience and design at Fortune 500 companies.
Justin has also designed two strategic board games and written and produced a full-length music album.
Questions?
We understand that you may have questions about sending your child on this epic adventure. Let’s discuss them together.
From Slopes to Sea
Looking for more opportunities like Powder Term? We also offer a surfing program called Surf Term—an educational adventure experience where 6-9th graders have the opportunity to live, learn, and surf on the pristine beaches of Nosara, Costa Rica.
We run Surf Term using the same nature-driven, phones-down, self-reliant philosophy as Powder Term—and we’re now accepting applications for our 2022 session! Visit surfterm.com to learn more and apply.
Our Purpose
We believe greatness lies within every human being. Powder Term empowers teens at critical growth stages to awaken their senses, activate their untapped potential, and ignite their passion for life, learning, & adventure.