Academy of the Winds

Annual Children's Business Fair!!! Come support our young entrepreneurs.

If you have a budding entrepreneur that would like to have a booth, please email us at [email protected] to get them signed up!

Acton Children's Business Fair Lander, Wyoming - Acton Children's Business Fair in 150 Baldwin Creek Rd, Lander, WY 82520, USA Join us at Acton Children's Business Fair Lander, Wyoming in 150 Baldwin Creek Rd, Lander, WY 82520, USA on May 08, 2026. Young entrepreneurs showcase their businesses at this one-day fair.

We are hiring. To read full job descriptions please go to: https://academyofthewinds.org/employment

Academy of the Winds – Summer 2026 Is Here!

Adventure is calling… and Summer 2026 at Academy of the Winds is going to be our biggest and most exciting yet.

For children ages 3–10, we are offering full-time summer camps (8:00am–3:00pm) designed around outdoor exploration, hands-on science, and real-world discovery.

This is not a sit-inside-all-day summer.

Our younger campers spend their days immersed in nature on campus — digging, building, observing, creating, and exploring through science-based lessons and unstructured outdoor play.

Our older campers head out daily to explore the incredible landscapes around Lander — learning about local ecosystems, waterways, topography, wildlife, and geology by experiencing it firsthand. Every day is a field experience. Every day is an adventure.

And new this year…

We are offering Specialty Camps for ages 6–15 throughout the summer! These focused, skill-based camps allow students to dive deeper into areas like:

Robotics
Welding
Archery
Art & Photography
Sewing
Hunter’s Education

Spots are limited and our camps fill quickly.

To find out more and register, visit
www.academyofthewinds.org

As we explore the Kingdoms of Life, Lower Elementary spent this week studying birds.
In true AOW fashion, the children put their learning into action by making bird feeders to support the birds who stay with us through winter. Care for the earth begins with small hands and big hearts.

Our Middle School students spent the day handing out Thanksgiving meals to Fremont County families who needed a little extra support this year. They loaded cars, offered warm holiday wishes, and served with grateful hearts.
A huge thank you to our AOW families for sponsoring these meals and making this outreach possible.

Building bridges, filtering water, raising worms, sewing, processing an elk, and learning life skills. Real work. Real learning. Real life.

Our 6–9 year olds, in Lower Elementary, begin each day with a three-hour work cycle, where true concentration and independence come alive. Across the classroom, students are immersed in reading, writing, math, grammar, word study, handwriting, science, and history—each pursuing meaningful work at their own pace.

Alongside their core studies, students are exploring Africa—its geography, animals, cultures, and stories—through hands-on discovery and creative projects.

Maria Montessori wrote,
“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”

Every day, our classroom reminds us of this truth—the joy of learning emerges when curiosity leads the way.

We’re excited to announce that Academy of the Winds is starting a new 4-H club for ages 8 and up — the Valley Winds 4-H Club!

Our first meeting will be Tuesday, October 21st, from 3:30–4:30 PM at Academy of the Winds. We’ll be joined by Tanya, our 4-H/Youth Development Extension Educator, to kick things off and share what 4-H is all about.

Through 4-H, youth can explore projects in animal science, expressive arts, healthy living, leadership, natural resources, and science & technology — building skills, confidence, and friendships along the way.
For more information visit this site:
https://www.uwyo.edu/4-h/index.html

The club is open to AOW students AND community youth. Space is limited, so please register early:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DAEAD29A7FEC70-59536986-valley

We hope your child will join us for this exciting new opportunity!

** AOW Parents: Please use the link above, even if you signed up previously, so we have a clean copy of participants.

***We are looking for volunteers to help teach and support the kids in their chosen projects. If you are interested in becoming a part of our club, please reach out!

Valley Winds 4H Group If you are interested in joining our new 4H group, please sign up below. Open to ages 8 and up First Meeting Tuesday, October 21st 3:30–4:30 PM We’ll be joined by Tanya — 4-H/Youth Development Extension Educator, who will help us kick off this exciting new club and share what 4-H is all about!...

We were so excited to welcome astronaut John Grunsfeld to Academy of the Winds! It was such a rare and inspiring opportunity for our students to engage in conversation with someone who has actually been in space. The kids asked thoughtful, curious questions — and a few even walked away with autographs!

A huge thank you to for including us in your busy weekend and making this unforgettable experience possible.

One of the biggest goals we have at AOW is helping kids grow into capable, confident, and self-sufficient humans. This month, our Primary and Lower Elementary students learned practical knots — everything from tying their own shoes to knots for shelter building and safety. Upper El and Middle School students practiced archery, building focus and patience, and our middle schoolers took things even further by designing tools and systems that could make life less dependent on modern conveniences.

It’s all part of teaching them that they can do hard things, solve real problems, and take care of themselves and the world around them.

Even Mavis, our upper elementary classroom pet, needed a long nap after trying to keep up with all the excitement — it’s hard work being part of such a busy classroom.