Fifteen years ago, I began working At Camp Mondamin with Will Yeiser and David Byers. It was then that I first caught wind of an ambitious idea: Wouldn't it be great to expand the outdoor, camp-like learning experience into a school?

I latched on to this idea because I was amazed at how boys could transform themselves in just a few weeks at camp. After being given basic instructions and a set of safe boundaries, they were soon ready for greater challenges. Strokes and dunks in the canoe on the lake grew into eddy turns and drops into rapids on moving water. After each small success, the kids would beg for more.

When FBRA opened it doors three years ago, the idea of an outdoor-based school became a reality. The basic building blocks of one van, three staff members and eight wide-eyed boys were transformed into a fully immersive program. Boys were challenged in tough physical environments as well as academic ones. Scientific and mathematical concepts that usually never leave the classroom were tested out in the French Broad watershed itself. Abstractions such as verb conjugations and vocabulary lists turned into real conversations and relationships with Costa Rican families.

This kind of growth is extraordinary because it builds so much more than knowledge and skills. With encouragement, high standards and clear boundaries, FBRA boys are able to gain integrity, character and a sense of responsibility. The parents of FBRA students have had great things to say about this, ever since those first days.

Our son is excited and enthusiastic to go to school. FBRA has exceeded our expectations. I am impressed by your dedication to the students, your level of communication and encouragement, and your congruous expectations and accountability. A huge thank you to every one of you for inspiring our son to be motivated to learn and excited about being part of the FBRA community.

My son was in the first FBRA graduating class. He is thriving at Asheville High and I see him doing things – studying in advance for tests, keeping his work organized, scoring a 94 on his first Spanish II exam – that I know are a result of his years at FBRA.

To continue to produce these outcomes, we need your help. We hope you will consider making a tax-deductible gift to our Annual Fund. Tuition covers only a portion of the FBRA experience. In order to keep our tuition as affordable as possible, you can support the Academy while also receiving a tax benefit by donating to the Annual Fund. Retention and recruitment of the best possible teachers as well as facility expansion are just two ways that your Annual Fund dollars help.

We also hope you will spread the word about FBRA, even to those who don't have young boys. A FBRA parent summed it up when she said, "The FBRA student's experience in the natural world and their understanding and appreciation of it, are key to a lifetime of stewardship; not only of their WNC home, but the larger world."

We are grateful for the trust you have in us and for all of the ways you support FBRA.

All the Best,

David Bourne, Chair of the Board