General description

For nearly 60 years, Dunn has stayed true to its important, necessary mission: to educate the whole student to their fullest potential, for a lifetime of learning and leadership.

At Dunn, core values and proud traditions meet the initiative, innovation and fresh ideas of our faculty and students. Our accomplished alumni lead lives that embody this mission in thousands of unique ways. They are confident, self-reliant, creative and compassionate. They live in the Santa Ynez Valley, and they live in every corner of the world. 

We take the education of the whole student seriously, and in recent years we've embarked on a journey to redefine what whole student education looks like for the rapidly changing landscapes our young people will face.

If you visit our school in Los Olivos, California, you'll see why so many families and alumni are, as one parent recently put it, “delighted with Dunn.” Our entire community embraces the learning process with deep respect, joy and tenacity. Together, we get better every day.

I invite you to learn more about the extraordinary teaching and learning that takes place in this unique school.

Why choose Dunn School

School is an all-encompassing experience-- a transformational time to explore bold ideas, challenge yourself, and make new friends from around the world.  School fuels your curiosity and ignites your passions-- it provides every tool needed to help build the strongest foundation of knowledge and skills. You'll learn to push yourself, both in the classroom and beyond, with the expert guidance and caring support of faculty and staff members and the extraordinary community that is Dunn.  

For nearly 60 years, Dunn has stayed true to its mission to educate the whole student. To accomplish this, the entire community is committed to understanding and living by the following core values: Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, Intellectual Growth, Social Responsibility, and Moral Courage.  

You can read more about each core value below, and we are also including a link to a great article about Whole Student Education from the National Association of Independent Schools here.