The Longview School programs include experiential education, therapeutic services and adventure-based and arts-based counseling for high school students living with learning disabilities or emotional or behavioral challenges.

Middle & High school program

The Longview School is a nonpublic, state-approved, diploma-granting high school. We follow New Hampshire curriculum frameworks and teach basic skills, content, and values through experiential education and hands-on learning methods. We recognize our students' varying achievement levels and create a learning environment that addresses each student’s individual academic needs based on established goals set in collaboration with families.

Beyond the range of required academic courses, the Longview School programs also include exciting options for elective classes, such as woodworking, cooking basics, photography, wilderness skills, bike maintenance, and others.

Vocational programs

Vocational programs at the Longview School allow students to explore comprehensive technology classes, including homesteading, woodworking, building trades and mountain bike maintenance. While developing skills in hand tools and power tools, students gain practical experience in project management and problem-solving techniques. We design projects to take full advantage of the resources from our beautiful campus and to enrich our surrounding community. All materials, tools and safety gear are provided and included in the program.

Adventure-based counseling

The Adventure-Based Counseling Program is a key component to Longview School’s overall therapeutic approach. Each week is an adventure excursion in which we’ll discuss the next week’s individual counseling sessions.

We would rather see a student push their bike up a hill and offer help to fix another student’s flat tire, than watch them make it to the top on their own, leaving their team behind.

The program consists of on-site and off-site activities approximately once per week that work on skill building in the area of canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.  While working on hard skills, students are also developing social skills as they support each other through these physical challenges.  By entering the stretch zone, students learn new skills and build a stronger belief in their ability to engage in challenging tasks both in and out of school.

Although the activities may appear to be recreational, the value is in how students conduct themselves and learn from one another. These adventure-based counseling sessions give us insight into how we might better empower each student. During these activities, students must give and accept feedback while working together toward a common goal.

The program consists of on-site and off-site activities (usually once per week) in the following sequence: ice breakers, deinhibitizers, communication, cooperation, trust, group problem-solving and social responsibility.

Arts-based counseling

Like Adventure-Based Counseling, Longview’s Arts-Based Counseling happens through meaningful project work in the visual and culinary arts. The project-focused approach creates opportunities for students to react to unexpected events and unfamiliar situations while working together with others. The issues that arise in these interactions are meaningful, and even more so when they are addressed in real-time, as this counseling approach encourages.

While all students participate in outdoor activities, Longview’s arts-based counseling program does not require overnight adventure expeditions. This allows students to engage in less physically demanding tasks, which might include pottery and sculpture, cultivating plants in our greenhouse, or visiting nursing homes to read to residents.

Therapeutic services

In addition to weekly group counseling within the arts or adventure-based programs, students meet with their counselor every two weeks. The primary focus of counseling is to help students overcome issues that impact their academic success. Since these issues often extend beyond the classroom, we help students set goals that will extend well beyond their time at Longview.

We incorporate a range of therapeutic modalities including a structured behavior management plan, Adventure-Based Counseling, Arts-Based Therapy, small therapeutic groups targeting specific needs and individual counseling to promote the mental, emotional and physical growth of each student.

Transition services

As students gain credit and begin accomplishing academic and personal goals, we begin preparing for life after Longview School. For those returning to their prior school, this often involves a few classes at Longview, and a few at the returning location. We work with school districts to aid in part/full-time transitions and provide support during the transitional period.  For students who want to return to public school, we provide support to help them make the academic and behavioral progress they will need to meet the expectations in this setting.

Our graduates have entered college, technical school, the military, and entered into the job market. We not only look to acquire the skills and training needed to succeed in the workplace, we address the attitudes and behaviors employers desire, e.g. best effort, social skills, dependability, respect, and the ability to work within a team.

Summer program

The Longview Summer Program is designed for students to become a productive part of a team and engage in outdoor activities like hiking, biking and canoeing while earning a half credit* toward graduation. This is a great opportunity for new students to get introduced to Arts-Based Counseling and Adventure-Based Counseling programs, which make up a significant portion of the Longview School experience. For new students, the summer program offers a chance to meet other students and staff and develop positive relationships for the upcoming year. For returning students, the summer program offers students an opportunity to get focused for the year ahead, improve skills and step up into leadership roles.

*The summer program equals a half credit of Physical Education or elective credit.