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A snowy mountain view looking towards Grafton Notch from Sunday River

Communications from a Mountain Town

The Mountain Dispatch

Gould’s home for stories from the mountains of Maine and beyond.

You’ll find reflections from the outdoors, snapshots from daily life, dispatches from the classroom and the hill, and unique moments that define the Gould experience. From Four Point projects to alumni stories, The Mountain Dispatch captures the spirit and curiosity of the Gould community.

Two Gould students on Mountain Day with a ukulele and a timbale

 

Explore the Latest from Gould

Elevate: 16 Boarding Schools and the Practice of Holistic Education
  • Academics
  • Experiential Learning
Prepared for the Moment That Matters

Gould is one of sixteen institutions featured in Elevate: 16 Boarding Schools and the Practice of Holistic Education, a new collaborative volume exploring the practice and structure of holistic education in independent boarding schools. 

The book brings together institutional reflections on mission, community, and character. The following article is Gould’s chapter, authored by Head of School Tao Smith ’90, P’23,’28.

Ski Patrol Program Director Doug Alford with Ella Wilder
  • Experiential Learning
  • Snow Sports
Wilder Earns Sunday River Ski Patrol Jacket at Gould Academy

Ella Wilder ’26 was “jacketed” by Ski Patrol Program Director Doug Alford after three years in the program. As a “jacketed” patroller, Ella is now an official ski patrol volunteer at Sunday River in Newry, Maine. Read on to discover more about this transformative Gould program and the students in it.

Science Department Chair Ashley Smith working with Mallory Raymond ’27 in the Chemistry Lab
  • Academics
  • Alumni
Gould Women in STEM: Encouragement & Mentorship in Practice

Why Are There Still So Few Women in STEM?

Gould may have the antidote. In her widely regarded 2013 New York Times essay, writer Eileen Pollack explored why so many talented women leave STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) pathways, even after excelling academically. Her conclusion was that the biggest barrier is not aptitude, but expectation. A lack of encouragement and mentorship driven by bias and outdated stereotypes shapes outcomes long before careers begin.

two engineering students take a rover for a test run at Sunday River
  • Academics
  • Experiential Learning
Gould Engineering Team, NASA, and the Power of Trust

Following an intense student-led application and vetting process, the Gould Engineering Team has been accepted to compete in NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC), an international competition that asks students to design, build, and operate a rover capable of navigating terrain inspired by planetary exploration.

Aaliyah ’27 discusses J. Edgar Hoover's involvement with Martin Luther King Jr. during the student-led assembly
  • DEIB
Martin Luther King Day - Striving for Higher Ground at Gould

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a reminder that progress is not passive; it is something we are called to actively participate in. Dr. King’s words challenge us to not only reflect on the past but to have the courage to enact change in the present. This year’s MLK Day programming invited our community to do just that.