Glacier Lake School

The Glacier Lake School was founded in 2014 by Ben Kestner and Lisa Pavlock in St. Ignatius, Montana.

The school model is influenced by many alternative models including Summerhill School in the UK and Sudbury Valley School in the USA. The model has three main tenets, self-directed learning, democracy and personal freedom. It is the first school based on educational freedom and democracy in Montana. It is a private school for children aged 4 to 18.

Facilities
The school is set in 20 acres of land with a creek running through, just east of St. Ignatius, along U.S. Route 93 on the foothills of the Mission Mountains.

Philosophy
The school creates an environment where each student can decide what is important in their own development. The students are part of a democratic system where they all have an equal voice in the daily running of their lives and their community and the students and staff are equal partners who work together to create a place where all feel safe and respected. Students also mix freely within all age groups.