Mission Statement
The entire staff of Oakland School is committed to creating a nurturing environment where students’ academic, emotional, and social needs are met. Because every child is unique and learns differently, we believe academic programs must be personalized for each student. Our goal is to help students achieve their potential so they will develop a love of learning, a firm sense of self-worth, and respect for themselves and others.About Oakland School
At Oakland School, students with learning differences discover what becomes possible when they are understood, supported, and given the tools they need to succeed. As a nonprofit independent school in Troy, Virginia, Oakland provides a nurturing educational environment where students can build skills, recognize their strengths, and develop confidence in themselves as learners.
Many students come to Oakland after struggling in traditional educational settings. Learning differences can make reading, writing, mathematics, attention, organization, or processing more challenging, and repeated difficulties can affect far more than academic performance. They can also shape how students see themselves and what they believe they are capable of achieving.
Oakland offers a different experience.
Through personalized instruction and small, supportive learning environments, students receive the individual attention they need to grow academically while developing greater independence and confidence. Learning is designed around each student’s strengths and needs, helping students experience meaningful success while building strategies they can carry with them throughout their education and beyond.
The Oakland experience also extends well beyond the classroom. Hands-on and experiential learning gives students opportunities to discover talents, solve problems, take healthy risks, build relationships, and practice new skills in meaningful ways. Oakland’s equine programming provides another unique setting where students can strengthen communication, self-awareness, responsibility, confidence, and resilience.
Just as important as academic growth is helping students develop a strong sense of who they are and what they can accomplish. Oakland encourages students to understand how they learn, recognize when they need support, communicate their needs, advocate for themselves, and approach challenges with greater confidence. Over time, students begin to see their learning differences not simply as obstacles, but as one part of who they are as students; while celebrating their strengths.
This whole-child approach is at the heart of Oakland School. Academic achievement, social-emotional growth, resilience, self-advocacy, and independence work together to prepare students for fulfilling lives.
Support for Oakland School makes these opportunities possible. Donors help create an environment where students have access to individualized learning, dedicated educators, enriching experiences, and programs designed to help them succeed.
An investment in Oakland is ultimately an investment in possibility. It helps students who may once have questioned their abilities experience success, discover their strengths, develop their voices, and move forward with greater confidence and independence.