News

ODA's fifth graders have been studying the formation and function of the U.S. government. Students learned how each of the three branches of government work in a system of checks and balances. Simulations and guest visitors have strengthened their understanding of this important material.

The Out-of-Door Academy has partnered with Gocio Elementary School on a variety of service projects for more than a decade. Of the many programs that exist across our schools, the annual Thanksgiving baskets are one of the most meaningful traditions. Click to view our Thanksgiving donations.

Both teams will be back in action next week.

Nolan Lewellen '21 leads team to victory.

Taylor Shaklik '21 is among an elite group of Sarasota-Manatee youth nominated for admission.

Tristan McWilliam '22 of the Thunder qualifies for state meet.

The ODA swimmer talks his best stroke and his philosophy on life.

KB Belton had to wait a while for his first win as a head coach, but the waiting was worth it. 

Eli Newman, a member of the Class of 2021, has achieved something very few students ever do - a perfect score of 1600 on the SAT. Approximately 2 million students take the SAT each year. Of those students, only approximately 500 hit the elusive 1600. That equates to 0.00025% of all test takers.

Seniors Ximena Barrales and Chelsea Ball undertake a new challenge during their senior year at Out-of-Door—the role of National Ambassadors for the Girl Talk Inc. organization.

Out-of-Door’s traditional event goes virtual. Click here to watch the ceremony.

Two ODA students work to educate others on how to protect water resources.

B.J. Ivey was at Riverview for 13 years before leaving in 2019.

Out-of-Door Bests Bradenton Christian 3-2.

Former Riverview High coach spent the past season as director of basketball operations at Florida Gulf Coast University

Lower School students in the new Broadcasting class put a myriad of skills to the test during their weekly newscast. Click here to view an archive of their weekly broadcasts.

From the beginning, Out-of-Door founders Catherine Gavin and Fanneal Harrison envisioned a school where some of the most important lessons would be learned “out-of-door” or outside of the classroom. Click here for photos of more outdoor learning activities around campus.

Lakewood Ranch-area students are honored with their selection to the Brain Health Initiative's Scholars program.

ODA isn't playing many matches, but they're working as hard as ever.

Reece Whatmore ’21 and Harper Campbell ’23 were selected as two of only 50 students in the nation to join EarthEcho as EarthEcho Water Challenge Ambassadors. Their first outreach project was to hold a community program to educate about the importance of water quality. They chose to work with ODA Lower School students.

Expanding Out-of-Door’s schoolwide sustainability efforts, this summer the school completed the first phase of solar panel installation on the Uihlein Campus resulting in a 65% reduction in electrical consumption. Click here to see a drone flyover of the arrays.

Eighth graders eagerly explored their new high-tech, solar-powered building after the official ribbon cutting ceremony on the Middle School Quad. Watch the video recap of the event here.

Eighth graders return to Lakewood Ranch campus and get a first look at new facility.

When our students come back to campus, they will see many new visual reminders that attending school this year will be quite a bit different. Watch this short video created by a team of sixth grade teachers to learn more about our new campus protocols. We look forward to seeing many of you next week as all of our grade levels return to the Siesta Key and Uihlein Campuses following the Labor Day weekend.

ODA Upper School students ventured into the exciting world of entrepreneurship during a hands on summer course.

Lakewood Ranch school installs its first round of solar panels.

At Out-of-Door, we are committed to recruiting and developing the best possible talent. This year we are pleased to introduce five new members of the ODA team.

A former NBA player is returning to a familiar bench.

ODA seniors celebrate during an on-campus parade and fireworks display. 

Students in Middle and Upper School have shown their ability to pivot to an online learning platform in academics, as well as the arts. As we wrap up the academic year, two showcases feature student work. View the Celebration of the Arts and Thunderpalooza virtual events.

Out-of-Door’s varsity student-athletes were celebrated for their accomplishments during the 2019-2020 school year in an online presentation of the annual awards ceremony.

Click for videos.

Out-of-Door students create unique artwork to show thanks.

Out-of-Door student, Hannah Greenblott (’20), captures the emotional journey for this year’s seniors and offers a heartwarming message of hope coast-to-coast.

Undaunted by proximity, the arts faculty at Out-of-Door continue to provide stimulating and engaging performing and visual arts experiences for our students.

The class of 2020 here on the Suncoast are organizing seniors from across the nation to spread one message.

In the second part of our series with our longest-tenured faculty, we hear from two Uihlein Campus educators, Mrs. Kathy Dozier and Mrs. Shelley Stone.

Reflecting on their long tenure in education, faculty who are celebrating milestone achievements of 20, 30, and 35 years of service to Out-of-Door reflect on their careers at ODA and the shift to online learning. This week, we hear from Mrs. Martha Gulácsy, Mrs. Laura Murphy, and Dr. Linda Vasilaki from the Siesta Key campus.

“Teachers have been great encouragers, providing so much positivity and much-needed structure for the days at home.” —Claire Moxey
Click for a photo gallery of students in their home workspaces.

Although both of the Out-of-Door campuses are closed and students are safely learning remotely, ODA’s dedication to Service and the support of our community has not diminished.

Two ODA Soccer Players Make HT Preps All-Area List

ODA Students and Faculty embraced new terrain with a full week of virtual learning. Watch some highlights from their lessons in this video montage.

The Out-of-Door Academy College Counseling Office is pleased to announce that seniors Arya Bulusu and Abby Eakle have been named as 2019 National Merit Scholarship Finalists.

The Kozel Family Amphitheater was filled with colors, patterns, and textures as parents admired the students’ display of two- and three-dimensional art. Click here for photos of the students’ artwork on display at the Art Under the Banyan exhibit.

The 2019-2020 Sophomore Biography Project invites the community to join our students in a broad reaching, county-wide, empathy project for people with disabilities.

Out-of-Door students were frequent visitors to the award podium during the Sarasota County STEM Fair award ceremony.

ODA is pleased to announce that the construction of its new Middle School Campus is on-schedule with the building’s opening planned for the first day of classes in August 2020. At the center of this project is a new 13,500 square foot Student and STEM Center. See a time lapse recording of the construction progress on the project to date in this video.

The Out-of-Door Academy is excited to announce a reimagined Middle School.

The 13,500-square-foot facility will be finished in fall 2020.

Western-themed decorations decked out the Siesta Key Campus when grandfriends arrived for the exciting annual Lower School event. Click here for photos from Grandfriends Day.

The Out-of-Door Academy Performing Arts department put together an incredible Movie Matinee Concert at Woodland Community Church, showcasing the breadth of musical talent in ODA’s student body. View photos from the event and a video showcasing highlights.

The Investment Club hears from industry experts in their journey for the keys to investing success.

The Class of 2032 is immersed in a unique learning environment during a visit to SMART Farm in Manatee County.

ODA's Latin scholars have strong performance at FJCL Regionals competition.

Fourth graders celebrate the grand opening of the Hammer Hut, their new retail store on the Lower Campus housed in the Catherine Gavin Memorial Library.

ODA student presentations receive high acclaim at local symposium focused on the future of education.

The school was first founded on Siesta Key in 1924.

Out-of-Door Academy celebrates its 95th year teaching students.

ODA marked its milestone year on the 95th day of the 95th year by looking back over the school’s history with special celebrations on both campuses. Click for photos from the day’s celebrations.

Harvard's Dr. John Ratey's lecture on the correlation between exercise and brain health at ODA inspires attendees.

ODA Upper School students were visited by representatives from Teen Court of Sarasota Inc. during a recent assembly.

For three weeks each winter, Out-of-Door hosts high school students from the prestigious International Program at Beijing High School #4 in Beijing, China.

A whimsical sculpture created by beloved ODA art teacher Carolyn Johnston is donated to the school by the artist’s daughter.

More than 500 families and 75 colleges and universities participated in the Tampa Bay Case Studies Program at ODA. This immersive event for juniors and their parents helps them understand the complexity of the college application review process by serving on a simulated admission committee.

Three talented Out-of-Door students, accompanied by their music teachers, were selected to the Middle and High School All-State Honors Orchestra at the 2020 FMEC in Tampa.

Before heading off to spend time relaxing with family and friends, the students in Middle School spent a uniquely designed day working together on group projects to create solutions posed in three grade-specific questions.

Two ODA faculty members explored innovative techniques to integrate into world language classes through their participation in the ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo in Washington, D.C.