About World Class Academy
About WCA
Our Program
World Class Academy is an accredited private high school that combines academics, athletics, travel, and cultural immersion. Our school is built on the belief that quality education comes from engaging with the world around you, and that learning and passion must go hand in hand.
Food
WCA caters to all dietary needs and always offers vegetarian options. Eating well while training is a priority, and we are intentional about providing students with well-rounded, nutritious meals throughout the semester.
Food at World Class Academy is as much a part of the experience as the sport itself. Wherever we are in the world, meals reflect the local culture. We dine on Tajine in Morocco, Lomo Saltado in Peru, Pasta al Pomodoro in Italy, and Braai in South Africa. Eating meals as a team is an extension of the cultural immersion that defines a semester at WCA. Abroad, the program often dines at local restaurants or enjoys meals prepared by hired chefs. At times throughout the school year, we will also prepare meals as a school. Students and staff share cooking responsibilities, rotating through cooking and clean-up duty. Learning to feed yourself and a group while on the road turns out to be one of the most practical and lasting lessons students take home from their time at World Class Academy.
Lodging
At World Class Academy, location is everything. Our accommodations are chosen with both school and sport in mind, providing classroom space and quick transitions between academics and training. Students have rotating room assignments, staying in cabins, lodges, or bunkhouses. Faculty live on campus alongside students, providing round-the-clock supervision, structured homework help, and personalized mentorship. World Class prioritizes lodging with shared common spaces for gathering, studying, and the occasional school-wide game or movie night.
Tuition
World Class Academy is an accredited nonprofit high school committed to making an exceptional education accessible to every student who earns a place here. Need and merit-based financial aid are available through our master application.
Tuition covers the full cost of the WCA experience; lodging, meals, educational costs, in-program transportation, and special activities are all included. Airfare, gear shipment, personal equipment, and medical insurance are not included. Families may choose a one-time payment or a payment plan, and we encourage you to contact us to discuss what works best for you at [email protected].
2026-2027 Climb and Kayak Academies:
Single Semester: $26,975 | Full Year: $47,975
2026-2027 MTB, Kite, and Surf Academies:
Single Semester: $26,975 | Full Year: $48,975
Mentorship
Every student at World Class Academy is paired with a dedicated faculty mentor who plays a central role in their time at WCA. More than a teacher or coach, a mentor-mentee relationship is structured to provide daily connection with each student about their goals, their strengths, and where they are struggling. Mentors meet regularly with students to track progress, work through challenges, and keep them moving forward. Mentors hold students accountable while providing them with the support needed to thrive in our program.
A defining feature of our program is the connection and communication between mentors and families. Each week, mentors provide detailed mentor updates to the family that offer meaningful insight into a student’s growth across academics, athletics and character. This ongoing communication ensures that students are supported in a consistent and aligned way, both at school and at home. At World Class Academy mentorship is not an added layer – it is fundamental to how we support, challenge, and develop each student.
FAQ
How good at my sport do I have to be?
Minimum skill requirements vary by academy, and we encourage prospective students to visit their academy’s page for specific details. World Class Academy welcomes students across a wide range of skill levels, from dedicated up-and-comers to competitive athletes with serious ambitions. What matters most is that students arrive with a genuine passion for their sport and a willingness to be coached. Every student who comes through our program improves dramatically, and we are proud of that.
If you have questions about whether your current skill level is a good fit, reach out to us at [email protected]. We are happy to start a conversation, assess where you are, and work with you to build a training plan that sets you up to arrive at WCA ready to go.
Can international students attend WCA?
Absolutely. World Class Academy welcomes students from around the world and has a long history of building cohorts that reflect a wide range of nationalities, backgrounds, and cultures. In many ways, an international student body is central to what makes the WCA experience what it is.
We work closely with school systems around the world to ensure that credits transfer smoothly, so students can return home with their academic progress fully recognized. If you are an accepted student and have specific questions about enrollment or credit transfer, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we will work through the details with you.
Because WCA does not hold classes in the United States, international students do not require student visas to attend our school, but may need to apply for tourist visas depending on the student’s nationality and destination.
Can I pay for WCA with a 529 plan?
Yes, 529 funds can be applied toward WCA tuition. Under current IRS guidelines, families may withdraw up to $10,000 per year from a 529 plan for private secondary school tuition expenses. This limit is set by the IRS and is not a WCA policy. 529 rules can also vary by state, so we recommend consulting a financial advisor or tax professional to understand how your specific plan applies.
For questions about tuition payments or financial planning, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].
Will we hear from our student while they're away?
Most of the time, students have access to WiFi and are able to check in with their families daily. At times, WCA travels to remote areas where connectivity is limited for a day or more at a time. These tend to be some of the most memorable days of the program, and families will always be informed in advance when communication will be limited. WCA also observes a regular no-phone Friday, which families are notified about ahead of time.
Beyond direct communication with your student, families receive weekly updates from their student’s mentor covering progress in academics, athletics, and character. Program directors also send bi-weekly updates, and families hear regularly from the Head of School throughout the semester.
How to apply for financial aid?
Financial aid applications can be submitted as part of our Master Application. WCA offers both need and merit-based financial aid, with scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $10,000 per semester. Families applying for need-based aid will be asked to include a tax form showing their combined household income. Financial aid decisions are released in waves, typically in January and May.
Is a World Class Academy education equal to a traditional high school education?
World Class Academy meets or exceeds the scholastic benchmarks that are in place for college preparatory high schools. Our courses are enriched with the unique experiences gained through traveling the world. Students graduating from World Class Academy have an advantage because their education is backed by real-life experiences, greater independence, and immersion in diverse cultures.
Is WCA for everybody?
World Class Academy maintains a thorough application process to ensure a cohesive group atmosphere and positive peer interaction. Students need to be adequately prepared for the challenge of living on their own. World Class is not a program for students with behavioral issues.
Core Values
Academics
World Class Academy extends beyond the traditional high school model by combining a fully accredited, college-preparatory curriculum with learning experiences shaped by place. Small class sizes allow teachers to adapt instruction to both the setting and each student’s academic needs, while maintaining high expectations and consistent rigor. Through this approach, students build strong foundations in core subjects while developing essential skills like time management, critical thinking, and the ability to apply their learning beyond the classroom. At WCA, students engage in high-level academics that are lived, applied, and strengthened through every place they go.
Mentoring & Life Skills
World Class Academy enriches young lives by providing learning experiences that develop students’ character, as well as academic and athletic ability. Students have daily opportunities to make thoughtful choices, collaborate with peers and adults, and take increasing ownership of their actions and learning. The relationships students build as they navigate unfamiliar environments and safely stretch beyond their comfort zones become the foundation for lasting personal growth.
Safety
World Class treats safety as an integral component of every program we run. Each of our five sports carries inherent risks, and we rigorously prepare our students and coaches to address them. Our coaches meet industry-standard safety protocols and engage in ongoing training in safety and risk management. A shared commitment to protecting our students runs through every level of our organization, from administration and faculty to students and families.
Team
World Class Academy takes a team approach to athletic training across all five academies. By committing to a team mentality with sports that are typically considered individual, students engage with important personal values and insights that extend beyond sport itself. By traveling, training, and learning together, students and staff build a tightly knit, supportive group that helps every member understand the value of working together and making sacrifices that serve the community as a whole.
Athletics
World Class Academy provides highly skilled young athletes with the opportunity to train intensively while earning a quality high school education. We believe our students thrive when they can be athletes too. We work hard to give them a rare opportunity: to dedicate themselves to the sport about which they are passionate and develop their skills to the best of their abilities. Athletic training also gives students practice in life skills such as dedication, patience, resilience, and self-reflection that serve them far beyond the sport itself.
Travel & Adventure
A semester at World Class Academy tends to have powerful and positive effects on our students’ lives. By changing their surroundings frequently and confronting new and difficult situations on a regular basis, students constantly push outside of their comfort zones and adapt to novel circumstances. Rather than detracting from the WCA experience, these challenges give students a powerful opportunity to mature and emerge as more responsible, caring, and confident global citizens.
Culture
World Class Academy is built on the belief that the most powerful learning happens when education extends beyond the classroom. Our students travel, eat, train, and live in communities across the globe, building real relationships with the people and places they encounter along the way. Our diverse international student body and faculty naturally support a multi-dimensional school culture, and travel deepens it further. Students who engage with people and communities whose experiences differ significantly from their own don’t just gain a broader perspective, they come home changed by it.
Community
World Class Academy actively works to instill in its students positive values related to leadership, safety, and stewardship through direct experience and exposure to positive role models. By emphasizing right action, community service, and by holding students and faculty to WCA values, we benefit not only ourselves but the communities we visit and the people who come after us.
Service & Stewardship
World Class students and teachers immerse themselves in the cultures of the places they visit, rather than simply passing through as tourists. They give back to local communities, make positive contributions to the social and ecological environment, and demonstrate that it is possible to do something one loves while fulfilling meaningful obligations to the world.
Empathy & Respect
Quality relationships hold WCA together at every level, including among students, between students and faculty, between our community and the places we visit, and between our organization and the natural world. As WCA ambassadors, our students and faculty bring respect and empathy to every interaction. By engaging with empathy and respect for ourselves, each other, and our environment, we contribute to a more humane and equitable world.