Strategic Plan

Five Strategic Pillars

Through wide community engagement, deep reflection, and clear-eyed visioning, we have identified key priorities that will shape the next chapter of our journey.

• Educational Excellence and Innovation

  Advancing experiential, inquiry-based learning that awakens intellectual curiosity and independent thought.

• Global Citizenship

  Expanding intercultural programs and partnerships to prepare students for a connected, complex world.

• Environmental Leadership

  Living and learning in alignment with the land through sustainability, regenerative practices, and outdoor education.

• Community, Student Life, Faculty and Staff

  Fostering a culture of belonging, service, equity, wellness, and purpose among students, faculty, staff, and families.

• Financial Sustainability and Mission-Aligned Growth

  Ensuring responsible development of our campus, programs, and partnerships that honor our ethos and environment.

Affirmations and Intentions

• A small school

  We affirm and renew our commitment to the mission of Educating Global Citizens as a small school of 130 students drawn from around the world.

• This land, held in trust

  We affirm that we are holding this land in trust to its sacred nature and will not sell or lose control of any more of it. The plan calls the school’s undeveloped land its largest “endowment”, from which “we must find ways to derive income … while not dissipating it.”

• A mission shared with adults

  VVS intends to bring its mission to adults, creating a new revenue model and greater reach, in fulfillment of the approved CUP.

The CUP is the Conditional Use Permit that Yavapai County approved in April 2023. It keeps high school enrollment at 130 students and allows the school to offer adult education programs on its undeveloped land. The full plan sets out how that could be done.

Our Vision

Since 1948, VVS has been committed to changing the world by forging global citizens through experiential education—awakening independent thinkers, conscious leaders, and compassionate learners. Rooted in Sedona’s transformative landscape, our community nurtures discovery, intercultural connection, and a deep understanding of self, others, and the world.

Implementation Timeline

• Phase 1Foundation2025–2026Complete strategic hiring and sourcing for key leadership positions
• Phase 2Development2027–2028Achieve carbon neutrality milestone
• Phase 3Excellence2029–2030Complete academic accreditation reviews and educational program evaluations

Each phase has several milestones; one is shown here. Progress will be monitored through quarterly board reports, annual stakeholder surveys, and comprehensive program evaluations.

The full plan sets out every milestone, and the goal, key initiatives and success metrics for each pillar.