By Will Yeiser, FBRA Executive Director & Co-Founder When Boys Program Director Felix Dowsley called me on the evening of Wednesday, September 26th at 10:30 pm and said, “We need to get to the north campus tonight and move equipment…this might be bigger than anyone realizes,” I, along with most of Western North Carolina, had […]
FBRA and HRC: A Partnership Born Out of Hurricane Helene Read More »
A Letter from Will Yeiser, Executive Director & Co-Founder Greetings FBRA Community…I hope this message finds you safe and secure as we all adjust to life post-Hurricane Helene. Our FBRA staff are all safe and accounted for, and I am getting to see some of them daily at our South Campus where they are volunteering
Hurricane Update 10.8.24 Read More »
Three Weeks Before Liftoff It’s late August, and 2024 Staff Training is wrapping up as the first day of Induction Week approaches. Unlike most schools, the staff at French Broad River Academy spend three full weeks preparing for the upcoming school year. This commitment to staff development up front pays innumerable dividends when school starts.
2024 Staff Training Read More »
FBRA’s summer 2024 climbing trip was one for the books. Seven FBRA students and two instructors just returned from an amazing week of climbing in Kentucky’s beautiful Red River Gorge. It was a glorious week of challenge and triumph as our campers climbed to new heights, literally! Summer programs are an extension of our in-school
Summer 2024 Climbing Trip Read More »
By Heath Alexander, 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher Sixth-graders from the FBRA Boys Program went to City Hall on Monday, May 13, 2024 to deliver letters to the Asheville City Council and Mayor on the topic of rebuilding the Malvern Hills pool, a community swimming pool in West Asheville that has been closed due to
6th Graders Visit City Hall And Learn About The Malvern Hills Pool Issue Read More »
FBRA graduation ceremonies are unique in that each graduating 8th grader addresses the audience, in contrast to having a valedictorian deliver the class address. The ceremonies offer a special time for our community to celebrate the achievements of our graduating 8th graders, to reflect upon the impact of three years in our program, and for
The Reason Our Staff Paddle By Will Yeiser, Executive Director and Co-Founder One of the many concepts that influenced the creation of the French Broad River Academy (FBRA) came from legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc. Yvon Chouinard. In his book “Let My People Go Surfing,” he outlines his business approach of
Let My People Go Paddling Read More »
FBRA’s Class of 2020 Alumni Gather to Reflect on their time at FBRA On, May 21, 2024, we invited the Class of 2020 to come out and reminisce about the good old middle-school days of French Broad River Academy. After hearing these soon-to-graduate-from-high-school young men and women reflect on their time at FBRA, we can
Class of 2020 Alumni Gathering Read More »
By Will Yeiser, Executive Director & Co-Founder From the day I started teaching middle school in 2002, I knew I had to create an international travel and immersion experience in a Spanish-speaking country that went beyond the confines of the traditional classroom. Most people wait until high school or college for some type of study
“This Ain’t no Teen Tour… The Evolution of the FBRA International Field EXPERIENCE Read More »
I’ve had a fascination with traveling for as long as I can remember. Going to Costa Rica with FBRA is most likely what started it though. I met new people each year and lived with different families, which gave me a chance to see their different ways of living. FBRA pushed me out of my comfort zone for the three years that I attended. Many of my teachers repeated the phrase, “You can do hard things,” and although it was repetitive then, I still repeat it sometimes. Because of the time I spent with host families in Costa Rica, I wasn’t nervous about living with a Finnish host family.
From The Field – Anna Kate in Finland Read More »