Love Learning.
Find Your Purpose.
Build Life Skills.
A new kind of “school” where Central Oregon kids and teens love learning, discover their purpose, and grow skills to thrive in life.
Enrollment now open for our October 27th session
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Limited spots available
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Enrollment now open for our October 27th session • Limited spots available •
Love Learning
Student-Led Academics: At BLA, kids (we call them Leaders) are in the driver’s seat of their learning. Together with Coaches and parents, they set goals based on their interests and abilities. When they excel in an area, they’re encouraged to keep going deeper.
Coaches, not Teachers: Our team acts as mentors, guides, and performance coaches. They hold leaders accountable, push them to grow, and make sure every child feels seen for their unique strengths.
Physiology & Free Play: Each day begins with movement and physiology. Leaders learn how their bodies work, why it matters, and how to take care of themselves through breath work, play, and exercise. And if a child is stuck? We don’t lecture—we let them reset with a lap, some fresh air, or time on the monkey bars before they dive back in.
Find Your Purpose
& Build Life Skills
Life Skills Projects (and Campus Jobs): Every afternoon, leaders dive into projects that build real-world skills. They’ll practice leadership by speaking to local entrepreneurs, learn survival skills, or even launch their first small business. They’ll also hold campus jobs—roles that keep our community running while teaching responsibility, accountability, and pride in their work. These experiences help leaders push their limits, explore passions, and discover what excites them most.
Socratic Discussions: Through daily guided discussions, leaders learn to think, debate, and communicate. Topics range from silly (“Does pineapple belong on pizza?”) to serious (global conflicts, history, ethics). They practice disagreeing respectfully, changing their minds when challenged, and truly listening to others. These conversations build confidence, empathy, and critical thinking that lasts a lifetime.
Friday Enrichment Days: Every Friday, leaders step into something new. We bring in local entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and experts to lead workshops in finance, art, language, outdoor skills and more. These sessions give leaders a chance to explore new passions, connect with mentors, and gain skills that go far beyond the classroom.
Curious what a typical day looks like? From self-paced academics to Socratic discussions, projects, movement, and enrichment—see how kids thrive at BLA.
❊ FAQs
You’ve got questions,
we’ve got answers
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We are currently interviewing leaders and their families ages 5-13 years (K-7th/8th) in our founding education year (September 2025 to June 2026). Bend Leadership Academy will launch with a mixed age classroom and age mix will ultimately be decided after interviewing families. Our long term vision is to offer an education system that will serve young leaders ages 5-18.
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Bend Leadership Academy is pleased to announce that we'll be leasing from the JCCO and will be located at:
21555 Modoc Lane, Bend, OR 97702
The campus is on 5 acres, just minutes from Highway 20 and 27th and the new Library and offers plenty of room for our leaders to roam, play and discover. We expect to lease a space for 2-5 years before breaking ground on a campus of our own.
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Tuition details are available on our Admissions page.
We’re also happy to announce that we’re in the process of forming a 501c3 to fund scholarships in the 2026 school year.
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Most schools were built for another time — rows of desks, bells, worksheets, tests. At Bend Leadership Academy, kids don’t sit and listen — they move, question, build, debate, and lead. Every day blends self-paced academics, hands-on projects, Socratic discussions, movement, and enrichment led by real community experts. Kids here don’t memorize facts to meet a “standard” — they learn to love learning, build confidence, find their purpose, and acquire skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives.
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Great! We’ve got you covered. Head over to our Parent Resources page for answers to common questions about our calendar, parent roles, classroom structure, and more. Want to talk instead? Hit the contact us form today and we’ll reach out ASAP.
