2021 Schools and Camp Guide

10+ of the top learning institutions and camps in Nashville and beyond.

by

Blair School of Music

Make music with Blair Academy this spring! The spring semester begins January 11 online via Zoom. Visit the Blair Academy website and explore the possibilities! Blair offers private music lessons in piano, voice and orchestral and folk instruments. There are youth orchestras and choirs, Suzuki violin and cello lessons, and classes including Kindermusik, music theory, songwriting and more. Zoom offers exciting new possibilities for students and families in the comfort of your home. Registration is open now! blair.vanderbilt.edu/blair-academy

Overbrook School

Overbrook School, located on 83 acres in the heart of Nashville, has prepared students for high school, college, and beyond since 1936. An academically-rigorous approach to education emphasizes the true learning that leads to wisdom. While Overbrook students excel academically at a level above the national norm, we also form leaders for tomorrow. Faculty and staff help students build a foundation where a life of virtue, grounded in friendship with Jesus Christ, who is Truth, leads to happiness, fulfillment, and joy.

Nashville’s premier preschool, Overbrook, utilizes a Montessori-based, hybrid approach for their youngest students to be prepared for Kindergarten. As students enter grade school, they are reading at an early age, participating in STEM projects, excelling at higher-level math classes, and receiving sacramental preparation. In Junior High, along with a robust academic schedule, students spend each week in a cross-discipline study where community, service, study, and prayer are put into action. Enrolling preschool – 8th grade, Overbrook School is a co-education, private, independent Catholic school. Owned and operated by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, Overbrook offers small class sizes, multi-layered student supports, and exciting afterschool programming.

For more information, please visit overbrook.edu.

TIP: “We continue to be impressed with Overbrook School and its commitment to meeting the diverse learning needs of our children. The challenge and rigor in the regular curriculum has enabled our son to flourish academically and socially at the school this year.” — Alice Ganier Rolli, current Overbrook parent

St. Cecilia Academy

St. Cecilia Academy is a four-year, college preparatory high school for young women seeking to grow in character, confidence, and creativity. Our independent, Catholic, all-girl environment ennobles young women, equips them to excel, and inspires them to lead lives of integrity both in and out of the classroom. Founded by the Congregation of Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in 1860, St. Cecilia Academy is the oldest continually operating high school in Nashville. SCA provides a rigorous liberal arts academic program in a Christ-centered environment. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of the arts, and SCA takes pride in its long tradition of excellence in the arts, reflected in its extensive offerings. SCA offers the opportunity for young women to know their worth and potential.

In the classroom or on the athletic fields, St. Cecilia girls learn an abiding sense of purpose. They have many opportunities to develop and exercise leadership in various intellectual, athletic, service, and co-curricular pursuits. Last year’s senior class was offered over $13.1 million in merit aid awards for a wide range of talents, including academic achievement, leadership, athletics, service, and the arts. They are now attending 42 colleges and universities in 21 states and making a difference in the world everywhere they go.

St. Cecilia Academy has been consistently recognized nationally since 2004 to the Catholic Education Honor Roll School by the Cardinal Newman Society. stcecilia.edu

Templeton Academy

Templeton Academy Nashville is a micro-school with a big heart. Our mission is to nurture young people from diverse backgrounds into purposeful adults who use their gifts in a way that brings them joy and serves others. Our vision is to empower purpose-driven life long learners who are prepared to thrive in college, career, and life and make positive contributions to their community, while advocating for other communities. Each student at Templeton is on their own educational journey. We believe that the best fuel for that journey is wrestling with good questions rather than reciting the correct answer. Further, we believe in not only learning to know, but also learning to do, and most importantly, learning to be.Templeton students find their tribe within the PACK. Let us help your student find theirs. Contact us today for a virtual or in-person tour. templetonacademy.org

TIP: Follow Us on Facebook and Instagram 

Currey Ingram Academy

Situated on a beautiful 83-acre campus in Brentwood, Tennessee, Currey Ingram Academy is a K-12 day school and 9-12 boarding school for students with learning differences. Some of our students have diagnoses such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, twice exceptional, executive function and/or processing speeds deficits, and others simply thrive best in a smaller, more personalized setting.

“Currey Ingram is the best decision that we have ever made for a child. It has been life-changing.” — Anonymous parent comment from the 2020-21 all-school survey.

If your child is not reaching his or her fullest potential in a traditional classroom, Currey Ingram can help arm them with the tools to succeed. Through small classes and individualized learning plans, we address each student’s learning profile – allowing students to soar ahead in areas of strength while shoring up any areas of need. Strong signature programs, arts, athletics and extracurricular activities emphasize student strengths and talents, while offering support in speech-language and occupational therapy, executive function skills, social-emotional learning, school counseling, and college counseling round out our approach to preparing every child for college and for life. The fun doesn’t stop at the end of the school year either. Currey Ingram will host five different summer camps on campus in 2021. Learn more at www.curreyingram.org/summer. 

TIP: Currey Ingram Academy features in-person instruction and has a year-round admissions process, which means it is never too late to apply. For more information about admissions, and to set up an in-person tour, contact the Admissions Office at admissions@curreyingram.org or call (615) 507-3173.

Battle Ground Academy

Battle Ground Academy is the #1 Private K-12 School in Williamson County and home to the nation’s only four-year entrepreneurial leadership program in a secondary school. Our EL program takes students through a four-year course progression that culminates in the senior capstone class. Capstone students work with local entrepreneurs in the first semester to gain real-world experience and create their own ventures in the second semester, competing in a pitch competition judged by well-known Nashville entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.

In Spring 2021, the Sondra Morris and Robert N. Moore Jr. ‘52 Center for Arts & Entrepreneurship will open, with classrooms designed for client meetings and pitches; multiple collaborative learning spaces, where student teams can work together to solve critical questions; office space for future entrepreneurs-in-residence; and a makerspace outfitted with state-of-the-art technology to engineer and produce student prototypes. Learn more and apply now at battlegroundacademy.org.

TIP: BGA welcomes mission-appropriate, academically qualified students to apply for the 2021-22 school year, to be considered as space allows. Visit battlegroundacademy.org/admissions to learn more.

Deer Run Day, Overnight & Family Camps

Deer Run Day & Overnight Camps have been voted #1 by parents. And year-round Family Camps are quickly becoming a favorite since your family’s getaway can be customized with upscale lodging, guided recreation, and meals. Deer Run is situated on 150 beautiful, private wooded acres. Campers and families engage in recreation and games, experience new adventures, unplug, and connect with each other to discover strengths, forge friendships, complete challenges, and create life-long memories! Deer Run makes it a priority to create a fun and safe environment.

Counselors and staff are the heart of Deer Run and a large part of what makes your child’s and family’s experience so amazing and personal. In fact, many campers are greeted by name year after year by staff and returning counselors. Day Camps are for age 5 to completed grade 6. Bus transportation is available from 8 area locations: Brentwood/South Nashville, Franklin/Spring Hill, and Murfreesboro. One and two-week overnight camps are for kids and youth who have completed grades 3 to 10.

Visit DeerRun.camp or call 615.794.2918. See you at Deer Run!

Franklin Road Academy

Franklin Road Academy is a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade coeducational independent school offering a challenging educational experience in an inclusive Christian community. FRA provides an excellent education within a collaborative learning environment, preparing students to attend the finest colleges and universities across the nation while also cultivating a concern for others within and beyond their own community. With innovative academic spaces like a DNA Lab and Innovation Lab, students are honing team-building, problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills in dynamic spaces as they become critical thinkers and leaders in pursuit of excellence.

FRA is big enough to offer students opportunities to discover and pursue their passions and small enough to know each family’s story. FRA fosters a healthy student experience with intentional class sizes that allow students to fully engage in the classroom while competing at a high athletic level or perfecting an art form.

For more information, call our Admission Office at 615-832-8845 or visit www.franklinroadacademy.com.

TIP: At FRA, service learning is an essential part of the complete educational experience as students are encouraged to lead and participate in a variety of opportunities including Service Saturdays, Crafts for a Cause, Senior Habitat Build, and Philanthropy 101. Through experiential learning and community engagement, our students discover innovative ways to meet the world’s needs as they become leaders who are guided by Christian principles and compelled to lead lives of compassionate global citizenship.

Harding Academy

Harding Academy is a coeducational, nonsectarian day school serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. With a focus on rigorous academics taught by nurturing teachers, Harding Academy students thrive within a uniquely balanced and motivating environment. At the heart of the Harding Academy advantages is our fundamental commitment to the PreK-8 structure, which supports every student’s social, emotional, and academic needs in a developmentally appropriate manner. We seek to serve a diverse community of families searching for the optimal pathways to some of the nation’s most challenging public and independent high schools, and who share our mission to foster thoughtful, lifelong learners and responsible, caring citizens. We encourage any interested family to schedule a tour and to connect with a Harding Academy representative.

We also offer a few facts and figures that well represent the success of our school and our students:

  • Our seventh graders regularly place in the top three percent of Tennessee high school students taking the ACT.
  • The science curriculum features robotics, programming, physics, chemistry, organic gardening, and four science labs.
  • Our athletics programs include 21 teams, and our no-cut philosophy allows participation, skill development, and leadership opportunities for all.
  • Harding Academy produces two full-scale theater programs each year and has attained national status with its award-winning art program.

Harding Academy strives to inspire the mind and nurture the spirit in all we do. Our PreK-8 model provides the optimal environment in which to strike this balance. We serve each and every student with a whole-child approach and through challenging and developmentally appropriate curriculum, character education, and extracurricular activities. hardingacademy.org

Harpeth Hall

At Harpeth Hall, ambitions become achievements and girls become purposeful women prepared to take on the world and change it for the better. As an independent, college preparatory school for students in grades 5-12, every aspect of Harpeth Hall is deliberately designed with girls in mind. The student council president is a girl. The soccer captain is a girl. The robotics team leader is a girl. At Harpeth Hall, girls are at the center of learning. They are the inspiration for our school’s mission. They are leaders in the classroom, in the community, and in life.

At our school, all girls are welcome and every girl thrives. Our students appreciate and engage in a vibrant intellectual environment that values diversity of thought and difference of opinion. Our school community fosters academic curiosity, empowers all voices, and encourages experiences that prepare girls to challenge themselves as students and as individuals in an ever-changing world.

TIP: To learn more about Harpeth Hall, where girls think critically, lead confidently, and live honorably, visit HarpethHall.org.

Motlow State

Motlow State Community College is a public, multi-campus college in middle Tennessee. Motlow offers certificates, associate degrees, and flexible learning pathways towards a variety of degrees. Additionally, Motlow offers industry-recognized training programs that lead to high-wage, high-demand careers.The College’s mission is student success. It serves transfer and degree-seeking as well as non-credit students. CEUs, certifications, professional development, and industry credentials are awarded through workforce and specialized automation & robotics training.

Motlow is a powerful economic engine, and as the region grows so does the College. Motlow has locations in Fayetteville, McMinnville, Moore County, Smyrna, and Sparta. The College serves over 640,000 people in an 11-county service area including Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, Dekalb, Franklin, Lincoln, Moore, Rutherford, Van Buren, Warren and White.Motlow features Tennessee Promise and Reconnect scholarships. Eligible Tennessee students receive an award toward tuition and mandatory fees after all other aid has been applied. Attending Motlow is simple, and can even be FREE.

TIP: To learn more about Motlow State’s tuition opportunities,visit motlow.com/simpleandfree.

Mt. Juliet Christian Academy

Located fifteen minutes from Nashville, Tennessee, Mt. Juliet Christian Academy is a private Christian school that is a ministry of First Baptist Church Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. The church and school sit on 54 acres of land less than one mile from Interstate 40. Founded in 1979, MJCA is celebrating its 40th anniversary of providing a quality, Biblically-based education to the community. MJCA has produced 32 graduating classes and is embracing the legacy of now admitting many children of former graduates!

MJCA has approximately 550 students enrolled from PK-2 through 12th grade. MJCA’s mission is “To partner with families in developing students to think, lead, and live based upon a Biblical worldview.” We approach education with the goal of “Enriching minds, engaging hearts, and equipping hands” with excellence for the glory of God! MJCA is a college preparatory school that extends a variety of opportunities in the many academic, fine arts and athletic programs provided. The academy offers an outstanding academic product with moderate tuition rates in an environment which includes competitive sports and fine arts programs, a student leadership academy and dual enrollment courses where students can earn college credit upon graduation. More than 95 percent of MJCA’s graduates attend college, many with academic and/or athletic scholarships.

MJCA is fully accredited by ACSI and Cognia. Join the MJCA Family today! mjca.org

St. Paul Christian Academy

St. Paul Christian Academy is a co-educational, interdenominational, independent, elementary school (junior kindergarten to 6th grade). At St. Paul, we walk with parents to establish a permanent foundation for our students so that they might flourish by pursuing academic excellence, a passion for Christ, and an ever-deepening understanding of their call to be leaders who uniquely shape the world in which they live. We form this foundation by creating a place filled with childlike wonder where your child is known, loved, nurtured, and challenged to be his or her best. We hold high expectations for our students, and our nurturing environment helps them meet those expectations to reach their highest potential. As a result, our students are well prepared for acceptance into the most competitive college-preparatory schools in Nashville.

At the center of everything we do is our center pillar, passion for Christ; we desire all of our students to come to know and love God, understand His Word, and develop the wisdom, courage, and strength to walk in His ways. We believe that God is calling our students to become Christian leaders in their homes, at their schools, in their future careers, and throughout their lives. We equip our students to understand Christian leadership, and we give them opportunities to practice leading; students lead chapel programs, help keep our campus clean, participate in service at every grade level, and mentor younger students in our buddy program. Additionally, in their capstone year, our sixth graders have new, daily opportunities to serve our school as they prepare to be leaders in their next schools and beyond. stpaulchristianacademy.org

Thales Academy Franklin

Thales Academy Franklin is the first Tennessee campus among a successful college preparatory network of Pre-K–12 classical schools based in North Carolina that seeks to deliver the highest quality education at the lowest cost to families and the community. Hallmarks of Thales Academy include: rigorous, college-prep academics that emphasize learning to mastery; character formation; real world skills development; and personalized attention.

In addition to affordable tuition, other tangible benefits include a stable, proven educational approach; a consistent calendar; and a simple dress code. The school strives to cultivate critical thinkers by teaching how to think, not what to think; fostering skills such as writing and grammar; and developing confident leaders with strong character. Thales Academy Franklin is offering Pre-K through 5th Grade for the 2021-2022 school year. Tuition is $5,300 per year or less, and scholarships, discounts and payment plans are available.

Learn more and apply at: ThalesAcademy.org.

TIP: Thales Academy Franklin is proud to offer the highest quality curriculum at an affordable price. Contact Rachael Bradley, Thales Academy Franklin Administrator, for questions or to schedule a private tour at: rachael.bradley@thalesacademy.org.