Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Gardner.
Hi Riley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Riley Gardner and I am the Head of School for World Class Academy MTB.
World Class Academy MTB is a fully accredited, traveling, mountain biking high school. World Class Academy was founded in 2001, and the mountain bike program is in its second year. WCA MTB is a college-preparatory high school that mixes students’ passion for biking with an academic model that combines formal education with cultural immersion in some of the most iconic biking destinations. Each semester of WCA MTB is made up of two quarters, and each quarter is held in a different place. The high school is based in the US but has international students attend every year.
For the second quarter of the 2021-2022 school year, World Class Academy MTB headed to the US Southwest. Following a fantastic quarter in the PNW, the school hit the road to check out some iconic destinations.
This quarter started in the ultra-classic desert hub of Moab, Utah. The school rode Moab staples like Slickrock, Porcupine Rim, Jedi, Portal, and others. The school also spent a healthy amount of time at the Moab Dirt Jump Park, where they continued to round out all of their skills. The weather stayed mostly dry, slightly cold, and enabled two weeks of incredible riding.
Though the setting was different, the school routine stayed the same— school in the morning, riding in the afternoon. Weekends usually allowed for longer rides, especially ones that could not be done after school.
While in Moab, the school took a field trip to Arches National Park. This was especially appropriate for the English 11 class that was reading Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire. The environmental science class utilized the Arches field trip to conduct a lab on human impacts on the natural world. Wherever the academy is in the world, the school curriculum strives to incorporate the current location into the course material. This allows the students to live what they are learning and provides a place-based education that few other schools can offer.
While based in Moab, the school took a day trip to go freeriding in Green River. This would end up being one of everyone’s favorite days of riding from the fall semester.
After Moab, the school packed up and headed down the road to Hurricane, Utah. The team spent three weeks there, where a huge variety of riding options awaited the team. Grafton Mesa, Gooseberry Mesa, and the Snake Hollow Bike Park were popular riding spots for the school.
World Class Academy is not your typical high school in more ways than one. Small class sizes and bonds formed through riding bikes create a truly unique educational environment. Photos: Parker
The riding that took place at the freeride zones in Virgin created memories that will last a lifetime. Most bikers have seen photos of huge lines and gigantic jumps in Virgin, but what many do not realize is that Virgin also offers a wide variety of features that allow for tremendous progression. The rumors are true: the riding in Virgin is some of the best in the world.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Never a smooth road! But if the road was smooth, that would be boring. Teaching our students how to deal with adversity and life skills is one of the best things we can teach these students. Struggles for our program include logistical issues like vehicles breaking down, sickness, injury, running out of food… you name it, and we deal with it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Head of the school. I work in education, but often deal with logistics, planning, disciplining students, communicating with parents, and more! I am known for my positive attitude and for trying to keep the morale of our school high. I am most proud of starting World Class Academy’s mountain bike program – it has been a dream of mine for many years now.
How do you define success?
Success is what you make it! It is not a one-size-fits-all answer for everybody. Anything can have successful outcomes if you will it.
Contact Info:
- Website: worldclassacademy.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/worldclassacademy_mtb
Image Credits
Erik Parker
Riley Gardner
