HISTORY

It began with a vision for education that was unlike anything else that existed in Charlottesville, Virginia. An environment for children who truly loved to learn… a school for kids with an insatiable appetite for discovery…a place that valued questions as much as – and sometimes more than – answers.

To fulfill that vision, in 1994 educator Harriet Durling Kaplan and colleague Caroline Cunningham Eidson launched a one-room, nonprofit elementary school, specifically tailored to meet the often-overlooked educational needs of gifted learners—and to embody the philosophical belief that “education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

Since its founding, Peabody School has grown from 13 to more than 225 students in grades PreK-8th and provides a critical resource to Central Virginia, serving the needs of academically advanced children of all backgrounds by promoting cognitive, social and emotional development for each child at a rate commensurate with his or her ability.

Peabody is the only full-time, differentiated educational program for academically advanced students in the surrounding area, and our demographics show it. Students come from all over Central Virginia to learn, laugh, and grow here. We invite you to learn more about us!