Out-of-Door Academy
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The Out-of-Door Academy is a college preparatory school in
Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...
. It serves students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 on two campuses in the Sarasota area, one on Siesta Key and one in Lakewood Ranch, the Upper School Uihlein Campus.


History

The Out-of-Door School was established in 1924 by Fanneal Harrison and Catherine Gavin, followers of Belgian progressive education pioneer Ovide Decroly. Classes and free time were spent outside on the school's campus on
Siesta Key A siesta (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The "si ...
. Wooden cabins were used as classrooms during inclement weather and as dormitories. Over time, the classes were held indoors. In 1977, the school was purchased by 120 school families and transformed into a nonprofit organization, renaming it Out-of-Door Academy. The
Lakewood Ranch Lakewood Ranch is a planned community and census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Manatee County and northeastern Sarasota County, Florida, United States, consisting of approximately . It is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Flor ...
campus was established in 1996. The Uihlein family donated the land that would later become the Upper School campus. Seventh and 8th grades were moved to the new campus in 2000, and in 2008 the campus became known as the Uihlein Campus at Lakewood Ranch. The 6th grade was later moved to the Uihlein Campus in 2012. The Out-of-Door Academy is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the Florida Kindergarten Council. The school is a member of the
Cum Laude Society The Cum Laude Society is an international organization that honors academic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa, which honors academic achievements at the university level. History The Cum Laude Society was fo ...
, the
National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, board ...
, the Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education, and the
Council for Advancement and Support of Education The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is a nonprofit association of educational institutions. It serves professionals in the field of educational advancement. This field encompasses alumni relations, communications, marketin ...
.


Campus

The 5-acre Siesta Key Lower School Campus is on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
as Out-of-Door School. Located on Siesta Key in Sarasota County, FL, the Lower Campus is located on a barrier island. The 90-acre (360,000 m2) Uihlein Campus, home to the Middle and Upper Schools is located in Lakewood Ranch. In 2017, the School partnered with Mote Marine Laboratory to create a Marine Biology classroom equipped with six oversized aquariums and an interactive touch tank for students. ODA has installed more than 550 solar panels throughout the Historic Siesta Key Campus, one of the biggest solar projects in the region. Siesta Key Campus was renovated between 2008 and 2021, which included construction of a three-story academic building and covered athletic pavilion. The 90-acre (360,000 m2) Uihlein Campus is located at Lakewood Ranch. The Uihlein Campus is home to the Middle and Upper Schools, serving grades 6-12. The Uihlein Campus consists of 12 main buildings which include a performing arts center which houses The Black Box Theater, the Savidge/Bowers Library, two Dart STEM labs, an augmented reality lab, makerspace labs, the Dick Vitale Family Student Center, Petrik Family Commons, in addition to classrooms. Athletics facilities include the Petrik Thunderdome, Gelbman Family Wellness Center, Uihlein Sports Complex, the Dietrich Family Sports Complex and Taylor Emmons Memorial Baseball Field, Malisoff Tennis Center, Thunder Athletic Complex, and Fox Field House. Construction began in 2008 for a performing arts center at the Uihlein Campus at Lakewood Ranch, and the center opened in 2009. Renovation of the Siesta Key campus and construction of new athletic facilities also began in 2008. Construction of a Middle School Campus (Dart STEM Center, Summer Breeze Center) was completed in 2020 adding more than 13,500 square feet of instructional space. The new building includes a STEM lab, augmented reality/AV lab, makerspace, art studio, and student commons in addition to flexible classrooms and learning spaces for core coursework. ODA installed 705 solar panels at the Uihlein campus in 2020 reducing energy consumption 65%; an additional 905 panels in 2021 further reduced commercial energy reliance.


Curriculum

The academy's curriculum is a liberal arts program that includes mathematics, English, science, social studies, Foreign Language including Spanish, Latin, and Mandarin Chinese, and music and visual and performing arts. Advanced Placement (AP) and honors courses are available.


STEM science

On September 2, 2014, ODA school leaders and lead donors broke ground on two new facilities: the Dick Vitale Family Student Center and Dart Foundation STEM Center. The Dick Vitale Family Student Center was modeled after college-like campus centers where students could congregate study, collaborate, and socialize. The Dart Foundation STEM Center was designed to provide project-based learning lessons that integrated sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.


Athletics

The Out-of-Door Academy’s 2021 Baseball Team won the FHSAA Class 2A state title 2018 Boys Tennis Team earned the FHSAA Class 1A state title. ODA's Football team won the 2023 SSAA 4A State Championship as well. ODA holds 12 state champion titles in individual sports, including tennis, golf, and track & field.


Extracurricular activities

Student groups and activities include art club, community service club, drama club,
National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is one of the oldest, largest, and most widely recognized cocurricular student organizations in American high schools, with 1.4 million members. The purpose of the NHS is to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to ...
, newspaper,
Relay for Life Relay For Life is a community-based walkathon and the largest fundraising event of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Teams of people, varying in size, alternate between walking laps and interacting with other aspects of the fundraiser. Each year ...
, science/environmental club, student council, Tri-M Music Honors Society, Key Club, Invisible Children, and yearbook. Upper school students require 100 hours of
community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...
in to graduate. The Out-of-Door Academy athletic teams, known as the Thunder, compete in interscholastic competition in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.


Accolades

In 2006, Out-of-Door Academy was recognized as a
Cum Laude Society The Cum Laude Society is an international organization that honors academic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa, which honors academic achievements at the university level. History The Cum Laude Society was fo ...
School. Out-of-Door Academy was voted "Best Private School" in 2003, 2004, and 2005 by ''Sarasota'' magazine.


References


External links


Out-of-Door Academy
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1924 Private elementary schools in Florida High schools in Sarasota County, Florida Private middle schools in Florida Private high schools in Florida Preparatory schools in Florida Schools in Sarasota, Florida 1924 establishments in Florida School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida