In an age seemingly dominated by mass production, artificial intelligence, and conformity, Shining Mountain Waldorf School dares to be unique, guiding students to be free thinkers, creators, and authentic human beings. Classes emphasize imaginative and conscious creation, where students write and illustrate their own books, design experiments that lead to scientific discovery, and bring art to life through singing, painting, sculpting, sewing, and staging theater productions.
From pre-K through 12th grade, Shining Mountain fosters individuality and creativity over rote learning. Students gain the confidence to think independently and define success in human, soulful terms, stepping beyond the narrow confines of a world driven by uniformity.
Instead of worksheets and standardized tests, learning unfolds through projects, inquiry, and real-world experience. Nature is integral to life at Shining Mountain, cultivating a deep reverence for the earth and inspiring students to serve and protect it. Annual camping, backpacking, canoeing, and winter trips punctuate the school year, while vibrant festivals and seasonal celebrations weave a sense of rhythm, beauty, and community throughout campus life.
For over a century, Waldorf schools worldwide have championed holistic education. At Shining Mountain, this legacy is alive and evolving, igniting Waldorf education into a progressive movement infused with conscious technology, creativity, and experiential academic rigor. Shining Mountain goes beyond academics, educating whole human beings not only to encounter the world but to help them shape the future.
Oliver Gardner, Sophomore, Mountain Biking, Climbing 14ers, Junior Ranger, etc.
Tell us a little about yourself. What grade are you in, and how long have you been at Shining Mountain?
I’m in 10th grade, and I’ve been at Shining Mountain Waldorf School since Pre-K.
What are your favorite subjects or classes, and why? Are there any projects or lessons that have really inspired you?
I love math, woodworking, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART & Math). Some of my favorite projects were the sculpture that was made by the high school in woodworking last year, and our STEAM project in which we made a 2D video game.
How do you express yourself creatively at school or at home?
I love mountain biking, skiing, backpacking, environmental work, and just being outside in general. I hiked my first 14er at age 7. I’ve set a goal of hiking all of Colorado’s 14ers before I graduate high school. So far, I have reached the summit of 44 peaks. Only 14 left to go.
What are you passionate about outside of the classroom?
In the past several years, I have volunteered with VOC (Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado), BMA (Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance), and the WYLD program (Wildlands Restoration Youth Leadership Program). I have worked with the Junior Rangers Program for the past two summers. All these programs work on ecological restoration projects like trail building, seed collection, and planting native species. It’s really fun and meaningful when I hike or bike a trail that I helped to create.
What do you love most about being part of the Shining Mountain community?
I love the environment and the amount of opportunities to express yourself creatively and not just academically.
What is one thing you’ve learned at SMWS that you’ll carry with you always?
There is a great outdoor education program at SMWS, which has taught me about being outside and enjoying the outdoors.
If you could share one hope or dream for the future, what would it be?
To have a planet in which there is peace among people, animals, and plants.
Bonus! Is there a fun fact about you we should know?
A random fact about me is that I love to collect things, especially bottle caps. My bottle cap collection is almost at 2,000 individual bottle caps.
Adelaia Leuenberger, 7th grade
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi, my name is Adelaia. I was born in Zurich, Switzerland, and after four months, we moved back to Boulder, Colorado. I’m turning thirteen in September, and I am going into seventh grade. I've been at Shining Mountain since kindergarten. Last year, I moved to Langenthal, Switzerland (where my dad grew up and is from) to do a year abroad and go to the Waldorf school there, which was really big. I had to leave my friends and family to go to a place where I only knew my grandpa, my grandma, my cousin Mia, my uncle, and a few of my dad's friends. HUGE! At first, I was definitely the new kid in school, and it was really hard to make friends and start thinking and talking in a different language. But after winter break, it got a lot easier. I started really liking Switzerland, and making really good friends, and honestly, it was hard to leave.
What are your favorite subjects or classes and why?
My favorite subjects in school are math, handwork, woodwork, and I also like science. I love solving problems and working with my hands. Overall, I really enjoy school and love to learn.
How do you express yourself creatively at school or at home?
At school, I like being involved, engaging in whatever we are doing. At home, I like to listen to music, draw, play piano, and I love to read books. I like doing pretty much all sports, because I like moving my body and having fun.
What was something meaningful or surprising you learned while living abroad? Did it change how you see yourself, your education, or the world?
I learned to speak Swiss German fluently (it's not a writer or read language), so in school everything is in high German (which is a different language but related). I also learned how to understand, read, and write in high German, but I'm not great at speaking it. Something surprising I learned is the Swiss are clean and organized and have a very respectable trash system, and that made me realize that we should follow their example.
What do you love most about being part of the Shining Mountain community?
I like the way Shining Mountain educates its students. I like how they make learning easy and fun. I missed being a part of the school and my class.
What is one thing you’ve learned at SMWS that you’ll carry with you always?
I’ve learned that if you keep your mind set on your goal, you will achieve it.
If you could share one hope or dream for the future, what would it be?
I would love for us to stop being so wasteful and to get a hold of how much trash we create, and my wish is that we stop polluting the oceans.
Julian Dashiell Cleveland, Sophomore, Artist, Activist, and Musician
Tell us a little about yourself. What grade are you in, and how long have you been at Shining Mountain?
I am in ninth grade, and I have attended Shining Mountain Waldorf School for one year. I had previously attended an assortment of different schools with different teaching styles, like Montessori schools and traditional public schools.
What are your favorite subjects or classes, and why?
My favorite subjects so far have been history and English. I am delighted to have had opportunities to learn about things that I would never think of myself as being interested in. Such subjects are from classes like the History of Peru and our personal essay class, where we were assigned to read Kierkegaard. The philosophy of Kierkegaard fascinated me, and for a while, I became interested in philosophical essays and theories.
How do you express yourself creatively at school or at home?
I am an artist, activist, and musician. Most of my pieces are experiential, inviting the audience to participate. One of my pieces, titled Womb, features a large fabric womb which can fit fifteen to twenty people inside, acting as a reminder that we all came from the same place. I frequently change mediums and ideas. I have recently begun focusing more on music. A little bit ago, I received a few synthesizers to try out on my own, and with no experience, I set about learning how to use them. I created my first album, Duality of a Robot’s Heart, followed by a second, more recent album, once I had learned more about the synthesizer, titled Tian.
What are you passionate about outside of the classroom?
Some of what I am passionate about comes from learning about other artists. My biggest influences are Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, and David Bowie. They have taught me, through their work, about bringing people together, how important women are in electronic music, and the idea of impermanence. These concepts are reflected throughout my work.
What do you love most about being part of the Shining Mountain community?
Throughout my time at Shining Mountain, I have received an enormous amount of support from my teachers, which allows me to further explore my art career. For example, my art teacher, Ms. Zekonis, has made it possible for me to use the darkroom. Also, the students and teachers at my high school attended my art show at BMoCA so that I could show my school what I do.
What is one thing you’ve learned at SMWS that you’ll carry with you always?
During Spanish class, we were studying a dancer named Yuli. After watching the film, in Spanish, I was inspired to try ballet, which then inspired me to write a performance piece that included a ballet part. I believe I will continue to experiment with ballet in my future because of this class.
If you could share one hope or dream for the future, what would it be?
One hope or dream that I have for the future is that people will see each other as human beings and find commonality in one another so that we can build a better future.
Bonus! Is there a fun fact about you we should know?
When I was seven, I wrote my first song, which was about my cat, Rimsky Korsakitty, who had twenty-three toes.
To learn more about Shining Mountain Waldorf School, visit ShiningMountainWaldorf.org.