Philosophy & Mission

At Marin Academy, we believe that educational excellence should push the boundaries of both what and how we learn to prepare students to lead and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

We see the high school years as a critically important time when students are discovering who they are, what they value, what they enjoy, and where they are headed. We want our students to develop the skills and knowledge that will serve them well now and in the future.
 
At Marin Academy, we are committed to experiential education. We provide our students with a solid foundation in traditional academic subjects in a college-preparatory program, and we believe that healthy, challenging experiences both inside and outside the classroom are essential for taking adolescents to and beyond intellectual and theoretical knowledge.
 
Throughout, we promote critical thinking—informed, independent, collaborative and creative—as the hallmark of the Marin Academy experience. We expect participation and reflection to be active, inspired and sustained.
 
We believe students thrive in a supportive, compassionate environment which promotes friendly, open dialogue based on respect and trust. We encourage students to explore complex ideas and diverse perspectives, to test their values and judgments, to make their own discoveries, and to make mistakes, often their greatest teachers.
 
We ask each individual to recognize our shared responsibility to inspire and foster a purposefully diverse, equitable and just community, where students and adults of varied backgrounds, beliefs, attributes and abilities relate to one another as individuals worthy of respect. Further, we embrace our responsibility to promote, within and beyond the boundaries of Marin Academy, the values inherent in a democratic society.
 

Mission Statement

students sitting on couch and watching one talking

Marin Academy asks every individual to think, question, and create in an environment of encouragement and compassion and challenges each person to accept the responsibilities posed by education in a democratic society.