Welcome to Colorado Rocky Mountain School, an exceptional college-preparatory institution that gives our students the skills, confidence, and knowledge to be successful in life and to contribute to their communities.



Colorado Rocky Mountain School’s emphasis on growth, creativity, and leadership is rooted in our philosophical foundations and is present in everything that we do at our school. When John and Anne Holden founded this school, they did so under the principle that all the work would have meaning. They were inspired by John Dewey’s emphasis on usable knowledge and experiences producing ideal citizens. For us, this translates into a desire to educate beyond college, with our mission being to cultivate a learning environment in which we prepare our students for all the roles and responsibilities that they will take on throughout their adult lives. We believe that young people want to make a difference in the world, and we strive to make a greatest difference in their lives.



Our active program was influenced by Kurt Hahn, father of the Outward Bound movement, who believed that outdoor experiences have the capacity to “arm students against the enemies—fear, defeatism, apathy, and selfishness.” We seek to move our students beyond their perceived personal limitations by providing them with genuine learning experiences. There is an increasing amount of research supporting our belief in the importance of classroom and outdoor learning in preparing students for challenges and opportunities they will encounter in life by creating healthier and more adaptable adults.



Colorado Rocky Mountain School intentionally keeps its student population at 155 students, because we place a strong emphasis on knowing each individual student well. We want to ensure all our students that they will be surrounded by enthusiastic and community-minded young adults. Our classrooms, trips, and outdoor activities are designed to emphasize tight-knit relationships as we do our work together, because we believe that one does not, and cannot, work alone. Our goal is for each student to be successful and to feel successful, and to collectively help each other reach this goal.



Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions that you can make. We encourage you to contact us to get to know more about our learning community, so that you can be a part of our next 50 years of educating young adults in the pristine Rocky Mountains.