Walker Bell Challenge 2026

Your support makes all the difference.

The Walker Bell Challenge brings our community together for five days with one shared purpose - sustaining the Thacher experience.

Launched in 2020 to replace the Schools fundraising auction, this annual tradition fuels everything that makes Thacher exceptional, from outstanding teachers and mentors to the horse and backcountry programs, athletics, arts and financial aid.

Philanthropy, through the annual fund and Thacher’s endowment, provides approximately half of the School’s operating budget each year. Over the past three years Thacher has awarded $5 million in financial aid each year. Approximately 30% of students receive some form of financial aid support, including support for books, riding and camping gear, travel stipends, and town allowances allowing them to participate fully in their own Thacher experience.

Help us unlock additional funds for financial aid and expand access for talented student by making a gift today. Join us as we ring the bell and strengthen our community once again.

See the Thacher community in action.

Experience some highlights of the year with live streamed events and a video library of other events and campus happenings.

Senior Exhibitions: Every senior gives a 30-minute presentation on a topic of their choice in this culminating academic event of the year. Click here to view the library of topics and recordings of their presentations, which this year ranged from the modern-day relevance of WWI to the pursuit of happiness, the production of two student films, topics in astrophysics, an examination of masculinity, the climate crisis, dance choreography, fashion rebels, a history of the blues, and so much more!

Check out our video library for recordings of Heads Invites, arts performances and concerts, student-produced Thacher video, and program overviews of our wellness and outdoor programs.

Find more content on social media.

Follow the official Thacher social media channels for videos, photos, and invitations for further engagement. Find us on Instagram at @TheThacherSchool or @ThacherCdeP, or on Facebook @ThacherSchool.