Best High School Oakland (or nearby) for anxious nature lover?
My child is obsessed with biology, nature, sciences, bugs, trees, etc. She can often be found huddled over the dirt watching bugs carefully, and has had various pet insects over the years. I see so many High Schools in the area that are focused on college prep, arts, or engineering. Does anyone have recommendations for a High School for a kid that needs to "touch grass"? Other considerations: she is mild ASD, high anxiety, so we are looking for a supportive learning experience that will also gently push her to find confidence.
I am feeling entirely overwhelmed by the High School search process and welcome any advice! Many thanks
C
Nov 7, 2024
Parent Replies
I'd suggest taking a look at Bishop O'Dowd. It's a big school that can feel loud, rowdy and sports-focused. However, they have a large outdoor "living lab" that is used for educational purposes and seems to have a really vibrant subculture attached to it (i.e., it's used for classes, but it's also home to different clubs and activities). My child is not really part of that subculture, but from my outsider/parent perspective, it looks really cool! They also offer a variety of study trips that are biology and nature focused (like really cool ones!) Maybe this would be a good place for your child to find their people and/or touch grass every day? Definitely worth checking out.
Broadly speaking, we've found it to be an incredibly supportive learning environment for our child (though they did not come in with ASD or anxiety, so take that observation for what it's worth.) Good luck!
I would definitely suggest checking out Skyline-- my anxiety-prone daughter is thriving as a junior there. The campus has a lot of natural beauty-- tons of trees, plenty of grass. The other kids are generally friendly and she found her niche with surprising ease (given how anxious she was at the start); the teachers are supportive. I think the administration is trying to be very intentional about creating smaller communities where kids can be known. My daughter is more into humanities, but there seem to have some good environmental science course offerings.