FBRA Blog
By Liddell Shannon, FBRA Girls Science Teacher Over the years, FBRA Girls Program has had several Science Olympiad Teams. The most recent one before this year was in 2022/23 with an after-school program that I led with the help of FBRA board member Laura Bowers. This year, we offered Science Olympiad as a 7th/8th Grade […]
Read More
By Will Yeiser, Executive Director & Co Founder When we opened our doors in 2009, a ski program was not part of the plan. It wasn’t in the budget, on the schedule, or even on our radar. But as winter approached, we began exploring the idea of launching a ski program at FBRA. During my […]
Read More
By Felix Dowsley, Boys Program Director “¿Hace frío, Rodolfo?”“¡Sí! Hace frio.” We were cresting the pass between Jalcomulco and Tlapcoyan, headed for the legendarily fun Roadside section of the Alsaseca River. Rodolfo, a former raft guide who switched to driving shuttles after years of abusing his knees carrying boats, huddled over the steering wheel, a […]
Read More
By Alex Briggs Allison, Girls Program Academic Director As an educator, it is a professional dream to work in a school that embodies and lives the pedagogy I hold close to my heart. I believe education should give every child a compass — not directions. I want students to discover confidence in their ability to […]
Read More
Enjoy a Q & A with Caitlin Hay, Girls Program Math Teacher and FBRA Head of Technology. What inspired you to become a teacher? Looking back, I can see so many instances that make me think, “Ah yes, of course, teaching is what I am meant to do,” but in reality, the path to becoming […]
Read More
By Will Yeiser, Executive Director and Co-Founder At the French Broad River Academy, we teach our students and staff to always “point positive.” On river trips, this phrase serves as a critical communication tool: we point only toward the line we want paddlers to take, never toward hazards or undesirable features. Because students learn this […]
Read More
Enjoy a Q & A with Heath Alexander, FBRA Boys Program Social Studies Teacher and infinitely curious and interesting human being! What inspired you to become a teacher? I became a teacher because of the impact of my high school AP U.S. History teacher. Mr. Anderson taught me how to think critically and I have […]
Read More
By Jack Schroeder, Math Teacher Math class can be a series of equations, or it can be a place where math meets imagination via the design process. Enter Desmos: an online graphing software program utilized by high schoolers and beyond as today’s standard graphing resource. This program is not intended for animation, illustration, or programming; […]
Read More
Fall 2025 Overnight Trips are in the books! It was three days and two nights of working on paddling, climbing and campcraft skills, hiking and enjoying campfires, building stronger relationships with classmates and teachers, and learning lessons of resilience that inevitably arise in the outdoors. Whether on a river trip to the Tuckaseegee, Nantahala, or […]
Read More
By Elizabeth Douglas, Director of Admission & Communication We were thrilled to welcome back several FBRA alumni to speak at our annual “High School Night” on October 6, 2025. Current FBRA families left the event inspired by our articulate graduates who shared about their transition to high school, what their respective high schools offer, and […]
Read More