Program Highlights
Boys' Latin is a small school by design, which creates countless opportunities. Unlike larger schools where students compete for limited spots on teams, in plays, or within student government, we create space. Here, you will have space to pursue your passions, explore new talents and you will have countless leadership opportunities. Below we have highlighted a few of our programs and philosophies to give you a snapshot of some of the experiences you can have at Boys’ Latin.
Our Robotics Program is Out of this World
Boys’ Latin robotics begins in first grade and continues through upper school. At all levels, it is more than bolts and lines of code; you learn to break down a problem, innovate solutions, persist and collaborate. The program is carefully designed to create a smooth transition between divisions and students can begin to compete as early as third grade. The result is that our teams are highly successful, our upper school robotics team (The Lumberjacks) has participated in five world championships and been ranked as high as fourth in the world. Over 100 team members have gone on to attend top engineering schools.
Innovation Period
The middle school Innovation Period capitalizes on a boy’s natural inclination for tinkering, designing, building, and creating because we know that boys learn best when they are involved in hands-on activities. During our Innovation Period, we offer courses based on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) principles, focussing on essential 21st-century skills, including critical thinking, creativity, intellectual risk-taking and collaboration. What sounds better than coming to school and playing with power tools, building robots, throwing things off the roof, animating your own cartoons, or designing roller coasters? During our Innovation Period, students have the opportunity to do all of those things and much more – with adult supervision, of course.
A Winning Tradition
Over the years, BL has earned over 60 championships in eight different sports. But it's not just the titles and awards that make BL athletes stand out, it’s the grit, teamwork, and sportsmanship our athletes display on and off the field. And our Laker spirit is unmatched. To say that most schools have a great student section may be true, but the Boys’ Latin student section is a strong symbol of community. Attend any BL sporting event, and you will witness a sea of students in maroon & white, supporting and cheering on fellow classmates.
Character education
Today, more than ever, character education is central to our work. In a world where integrity is constantly questioned, we intentionally keep our core values—courage, compassion and integrity—at the forefront of all we do. Starting at the youngest grade levels, we carve out dedicated time every day to shape our boys’ hearts along with their minds. In the lower school, this means learning and practicing core BL values, such as courage, compassion, and integrity. In middle school, boys take part in weekly advisory workshops focused on mindset, goals setting, and resolving peer conflict. In the upper school, we give our boys opportunities to exercise their values as leaders, such as the student honor board that establishes and upholds standards for character and conduct. Every year upper school students participate in retreats designed to deepen connections and build empathy, culminating in a four-day, three-night senior retreat that many talk about for years to come for its transformative effects.
Maroon & White Day
In the spring of every year, each division comes together for its own Maroon & White Day - a spirited field day full of friendly competition. From the egg toss to tug-of-war to the classic dodgeball game, it is a day for the boys to compete with one another in the tradition of winning the day for your team. As everyone participates, it's no surprise that Maroon & White Days are annual highlights and among the most cherished memories for all our boys.
Public Speaking
Our speech program – a long-standing Boys’ Latin tradition – develops confident public speakers and eloquent storytellers. Drama and English faculty work with each eighth grade student and senior to create, write, revise and present an original speech on the topic of their choice. Each week, a dozen live speeches are presented to students in the middle school and the upper school, bringing us together as a community in the simple, impactful act of supporting each other.
All-Boys Education
As a school for boys, we honor how boys think and learn. Here, you will be fully engaged in your learning as our educational philosophy centers on hands-on, experiential learning that involves action and movement. Our faculty are experts in teaching boys and our curriculum is tailored to reflect how you think and learn, helping you to understand the “whys” rather than just the “hows”, which increases your engagement in your learning. And at Boys’ Latin all boys means whole boys; you will be challenged to be multidimensional - not just a scholar or an artist or an athlete, but all of these and more.
Got talent?
Students in all divisions participate in visual and performing arts and showcase their talents at our concerts, art shows and performances. However, there are numerous opportunities outside our curriculum for boys to showcase their talents. Nothing quite reflects our Boys’ Latin community like the lower school talent show or an upper school coffee house. Whether singing, playing an instrument, performing, or simply watching there is something for everyone at the lower school talent show. Throughout the year, the Boys’ Latin upper school diversity club sponsors evening coffee houses. Student-led, you can be sure the evening will be packed with talented performances from students playing the guitar, reciting poetry or breaking out in song.
Academics K-12
We often talk about being One School, #OneBL, and this is certainly true when it comes to our academic program. Thoughtfully constructed, our program is designed so that boys move seamlessly from lower school to middle school and middle school to upper school. In our lower school you will achieve a mastery of foundational concepts in reading, language arts and math. In middle school you will put these concepts to use, developing critical thinking skills, learning how to navigate complexity and raising your capacity for inquiry. As an eighth grader you will have the opportunity to take more advanced math and language classes with upper school students, allowing you to reach your full academic potential. When you reach upper school, you will be ready to take ownership of your learning and you will be prepared not only for college but life beyond school.
Center for Military History
Seeing is believing. Distinct among Maryland schools, the Center for Military History is an independent military history museum located in the heart of the Boys’ Latin campus. Its private, extensive collection of military memorabilia from the Revolutionary War through the War on Terror provides a rich resource for all Boys’ Latin students. More than a museum, our students are able to touch, explore (and often try-on) uniforms, artifacts, equipment, diaries and more. Through lectures and interactive classes in history, literature, physics, forensics, and visual art, history truly comes to life for our students. The Center for Military History also offers unique upper school electives in leadership and a seniors-only Museum Curator class.
Laker Buddies
At Boys’ Latin no boy stands alone because he is supported by one of the most powerful forces on earth - a lifelong caring community. This uniquely Boys’ Latin sense of community is personified in our Laker Buddy Program that pairs older students with younger students. In our Little Laker Buddy Program, fifth graders are matched with kindergarten and pre-first students. Our fifth-grade boys rise to the occasion of being big brothers and begin to show the leadership that's integral to their future experiences as middle and upper schoolers. Upper schoolers are paired with lower school students to serve as big-brother role models. Whether helping them with their homework, spending time on the playground or sharing stories, you can bet that they are building bonds that last a lifetime.
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Boarding
In the fall of 2021, we welcomed our first boarding students into our community, and it's been great! Boarding fits seamlessly into our mission and represents a bold new chapter in our storied history. A chapter we welcome boarding students to write in partnership with us. And, because it’s designed from the ground up, our curriculum incorporates the latest innovations in both residential and all-boys education – helping us raise boys who thrive in a time when it has never been more challenging or more important.