Indian Springs School

Founded in 1952. Indian Springs School, where some of the finest students from across Birmingham, throughout the country, and around the world come together to learn by living, working, and partnering with accomplished faculty in a community of scholars and individuals. We’re glad you’re here to see what makes this school and our students special.

The school’s founding impulse also stems from a connective, expansive vision of American society and democracy. Our mission is to develop in students a love of learning and creativity, a sense of integrity and moral courage, and an ethic of participatory citizenship with respect for individuality and independent thought. Springs aims to connect, value, and include young people whose origins, identities, beliefs, and experiences reflect the rich and instructive diversity of our global society. That means learning at Springs is both an individual pursuit and a collective endeavor, in which we deeply understand our world and one another.

Our boarding and day program brings together a diverse and vibrant cohort of just over 300 students in the 8th-12th grades, on a 350-acre campus where nature serves as both inspiration and laboratory. Students and faculty work together in a model of shared governance, and students discover their passions by taking part in everything from athletics to our renowned choir to student-run scholastic, service, and special-interest clubs.

Nearly all of our faculty members have advanced degrees, and have chosen to teach and mentor young people. Our beautiful, award-winning classrooms, broad and creative curriculum, extensive independent study options, and participation in an innovative online course network all enhance the great teaching that opens doors to new ideas and new possibilities. Our students are prepared for college, and each year go to many of the finest colleges and universities. But Springs more importantly prepares students to live not only in their neighborhood, but in the world.

Guided by our motto, Learning through Living, Indian Springs School fosters a love of learning and creativity, a sense of integrity and moral courage, and an ethic of participatory citizenship with respect for individuality and independent thought.

At Indian Springs School, we believe strongly that innovative thinking and creative problem-solving are critical to meeting the challenges of an increasingly global and competitive world. We value the fact that each of our students brings to the school community a unique set of interests, beliefs, abilities, and passions, and we strive through our thoughtful and flexible academic program, varied extracurricular opportunities, and meaningful faculty-student interactions to enable our students to grow as individuals and as independent thinkers.

We believe that in order for students to meet their full potential, they must be able to trust that their community accepts them for who they are. We strive always to be a community of inclusion that embraces and promotes diversity of background, belief, and thought.

We believe that strong communities are built on mutual respect and an appreciation for all, regardless of differences. As a supportive community of students, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends, we seek to foster and demonstrate limitless respect for one another, our campus, ourselves, and our world.

We believe that our students have the capacity to solve some of the most challenging problems that our world faces. Before they can find meaningful answers, they must learn to ask meaningful questions. We seek to foster in our students a lifelong love of learning and an appreciation for how much more we have yet to explore.

We value personal integrity and seek to develop in our students a sense of moral courage to make honorable choices, both in and out of the classroom. Because the right choice is not always the easy choice, we strive regularly to highlight instructive examples of integrity in thought, word, and deed.

Since the school’s inception in 1952, participatory citizenship has been a cornerstone of our educational philosophy. We believe that each of our students has a personal responsibility to continually shape and improve the school community. Involvement comes in many forms: taking part in student government and other activities, engaging in meaningful discussions in and out of class, collaborating actively with peers on group assignments, and engaging in community-minded efforts that better our campus and our world.

We are excited to share the academic, social, cultural, and educational experiences that set an Indian Springs School education apart. The school is located 15 miles south of Birmingham, Alabama—a thriving city and innovation hub that is also home to world-class cultural institutions and a renowned restaurant scene—and it combines access to the best of metropolitan living with the beauty and security of a small-town setting. Located on more than 350 acres at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, Springs’ campus includes state-of-the-art learning and performing arts facilities, residential halls, athletic fields, a lake, an organic garden, and endless opportunities for learning and growing!

Inspired by our dedicated faculty and small class sizes, our students cultivate their individual passions while also helping shape our community as they engage daily in our ideal of Learning through Living. From doing groundbreaking research, to earning perfect SAT scores, to winning state soccer championships, to performing with the school choir around the world, our students thrive in Indian Springs’ supportive environment because our programs nurture creativity, encourage excellence, and foster respect.