In 2009, Stanford OHS opened its virtual doors to students in grades 7 & 8 with courses in Science and English specifically designed for intellectually adventurous middle school students. These courses bring topics often reserved for

Though traditional field trips are nearly impossible in our online setting, summer trips to destinations like Rome, London, The Galapagos Islands, and Tokyo, give students the opportunity to meet in person, gain field experience, and

Harrison Siders (2020) & Briones Bedell (2021) met in 2018 while on a trip to visit Harvard University and to attend the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York City. Their connection was forged with the help of

Ted Alper has been at OHS from the beginning. He notes, “Even today, getting your high school degree from an online school is a little unusual, but back then it was REALLY unheard of, and students and families who were willing to try

Democracy, Freedom and Rule of Law, or DFRL, ranks as one of the most memorable OHS courses among current students and alumni. Its popularity is legendary, and for good reason; it was the first course taught on the very first day of

Clubs and societies offer a place for students to connect over shared interests outside of the classroom. OHS currently has 40 clubs and over 100 student-led societies ranging in themes from Fiber Arts to Neuroscience, Travel and

Skype served as a connection point– a virtual hallway or cafeteria–where students and instructors could chat informally between classes. Though the school transitioned away from Skype and toward our new communication channel, Pronto

Stanford Online High School was founded at Stanford University in 2006 with a gift from the Malone Family Foundation, becoming one of the nation’s first independent online schools. Central to our mission was creating an academically

In June 2007, Stanford Online High School celebrated its first graduating class. The ceremony was lighthearted and included clown noses with regalia. "At the very first graduation ceremony, I was surprised to be awarded a pink boa for

SOHS's mascot Pixel was created during the 2007-08 school year. The Pixel was an off-the-cuff idea from Maya Lewis ('09) and drawn by Jesse Selover ('11). The original digital drawing was a little rough, but it did have that winning

At the very first school prom in 2010, Stanford OHS alum David Sell asked the DJ to play Journey's mega-hit "Don't Stop Believin'" to close out the dance. The crowd went wild! A new tradition was born, and since then, each school dance

In July 2007, the first Summer@Stanford consisted of only six students in a physics lab on the Stanford University campus, but they were a lively bunch. As OHS Physics Instructor Gary Oas remembers, "David Sell, who later got a Ph.D