Students Who Enroll at NSA

Our students are bright, creative, curious, and many have unique interests and passions. They may be struggling to find their motivation and direction in life and may feel overcome with anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. Some have fallen behind and have resorted to unhealthy habits to cope with their feelings. Some may not feel capable of facing the challenges ahead; and many have an idea of where they want to go, but they do not know how to get there or have not learned the skills to achieve their goals.

Students Who Grow at NSA

With the plethora of options available at NSA and in Costa Rica, students have many opportunities to explore, learn, teach, grow and build their futures. We help students set and reach goals to build their sense of self, their interdependence in community, and the skills they need for a self-sufficient, productive future.  Students learn to become more fully and confidently themselves, to build strong relationships, to get from giving, to set goals and achieve them, to solve problems, to process experiences and use them as resilience-building life lessons and to become empathic and collaborative global citizens. 

Students Who Graduate from NSA

Our graduation speeches are some of the best, but even more rewarding is to hear about the adventures on which they embark after NSA. Some students transition back home, others to traditional boarding schools, many to college, and a few others to the work world. Our goal is not to impress with our college enrollment list (although it is impressive) but rather to support each student in the best path for his future. NSA helps each student and his family fill a tool kit of resources that they will use to pursue passions and overcome challenges in their futures. 

Why all boys?

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Another question that pops up quite often is: Why all boys?
  • Much research supports the idea of single-sex education. Although we recognize that each young man and his brain is different and unique, we also recognize that there are some basic, well-founded benefits to an all-boys classroom and milieu. Many of our boys have had unfortunate and  even detrimental academic experiences in traditional schools, which are often co-educational. By tailoring our program to boys'  needs and infusing our educational approaches with Multiple Intelligences-based theory, Project-Based Learning practices, and integrating all aspects of our program in a holistic way, we are better able to spark curiosity, build confidence, develop executive functioning, and engage students in life-long learning practices.
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  • Many of our young men have previously been in romantic relationships that were not healthy, and some have not been in any romantic relationships at all. A year to focus on oneself - to become more in tune with oneself, build one's identity and confidence, and clarify one's goals and aspirations - is a gift that many adolescents do not have the opportunity to enjoy. No matter what one's orientation may be, having time and space to really focus on oneself without distractions of romantic pursuits is conducive to building healthier relationships in the future. 
  • Oftentimes, co-ed therapeutic programs can be more restrictive because of the risks of interactions between adolescent boys and girls. From day one, NSA wanted to be an empowering place that felt as free as possible to our students. Limiting our enrollment to males has enabled us to provide more freedom to our students without "breathing down their necks," as one might say! 
  • We have nothing against women! :) Our Executive Director is a woman and we intentionally hire many female staff in all departments. However, until we open our girls-only program, we will continue to successfully work with the young men in our care and watch them thrive! 

Testimonials & Outcomes...