To graduate a student must complete the Walkabout Program, a series of Passages that are a transition from adolescence to adulthood, and write a narrative transcript that documents learning experiences and accomplishments in the school. The school serves students of all backgrounds and levels of ability and is an accredited member of the North Central Association. There is a balance between each individual's need for freedom and a sense of community. The school provides a positive, nurturing, yet challenging environment where each student can experience the joy of learning and develop the skills and abilities needed to be a life-long learner. The Community Learning Apprenticeship and Service program provides opportunities for students from the upper elementary through the high school levels to explore interests and to learn in the community.
Extended trips are integral parts of the curriculum.
Students actively participate in the decision-making and running of the school. This involvement includes a student-run lunch program. Other programs include instrumental and vocal music, musical theater and drama, art, physical education, and vocational education. In 1970 the Jefferson County School's Board of Education responded to the needs and interests of a group of parents and students to establish a county-wide alternative elementary school with an open education philosophy in Arvada. The name chosen by staff, students, and parents was the Open Living School.