    | NSA's staff and students are all excited to begin another spectacular year and want to share a reflection of some of 2018's highlights: 8 Global Citizenship workshops, investigating student-chosen topics related to Social Justice, Diversity, Ecological Stewardship, Conflict Resolution, and more. 4 Homestay Picnics, thanking our dedicated and caring Atenas hosts for taking our students into their homes and making them a part of their families. 28 successful Aventuras, including Integrated, Recreational and International Aventuras to Peru and South Africa! Hundreds of hours of community service at Hogar de Vida, with Osa Conservation, and in the community of Atenas. New clubs driven by student interests including a Fishing Club and a Birdwatching Club. Nearly 100 college acceptances, including outstanding schools like Tulane, Marquette, Trinity, Loyola of Chicago, Whittier, Juniata, and Eckerd College. Over 1.1 million dollars in college scholarships offered thus far! 20 successful graduates of high school and/or the New Summit Academy Program, ready to take on the world with new skills and confidence! Thanks to all members of our NSA family for your support as we look forward to an incredible 2019... Happy New Year!  |
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Our proud December graduates, some returning to their homes to complete high school, others graduating high school and entering college in the spring, experienced their culminating Aventura last week. These young men summited the highest point in Costa Rica, Cerro Chirripo, as a metaphoric pinnacle of their experiences at New Summit Academy. Congratulations to our graduates!  The children and staff at Hogar de Vida provide us with so much throughout the year, and the holidays are a time when we can say “thank you.” This season, all of the kids joined us on campus for our annual Christmas party. Daisy, our cultural coordinator, worked her usual magic to ensure that every child had a personalized gift, a delicious meal and a wonderful time.
 It broke our hearts to hear that our beloved Hogar de Vida is facing some big problems and has a big ask. Message from Hogar de Vida: Since 2014 in the child-focused culture of Costa Rica, PANI (Costa Rica's child protective services) has from time-to-time issued new requirements for increased staffing of the children's home. In May, another quite large increase was announced. While well-meaning, this increase was particularly difficult to meet, especially under threat of having the operating permit revoked. At about the same time, the Costa Rican government and department of labor issued new labor laws and regulations affecting pay and labor practices across the entire country. To make matters even worse, PANI announced in the fall that the annual Christmas grant to children's homes, usually $25,000 - $35,000 would not be paid this year. Without intervention, the collective cost to Homes of Life would be a devastating increase in expenses amounting to many thousands of dollars per month, not including the loss of the one-time Christmas grant. Our families, staff, and friends have amazed us with their generosity! Thank you for your holiday spirit in donating to an amazing cause to help children in need. These children at Hogar make a HUGE impact on our students, and we're sure the feeling is mutual. If you'd like to donate, please follow the link below and make sure you choose the Costa Rica program. Thank you!!
 NSA’s seniors have been hard at work on applications, essays, and resumes, and are beginning to see results.
Students who submitted applications in the early rounds have received some of their decisions, and have been accepted to some great schools, including Goucher, Loyola of Chicago, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Portland, and Christopher Newport University. These schools have so far offered more than $115,000.00 in merit scholarships to these talented seniors! At NSA, our Thanksgiving celebration is about dinner with family and friends, but also about giving back and engaging with our community to express our gratitude.
 Students and staff have just returned from a successful round of Integrated Aventuras: hiking through Corcovado National Park, kayaking the Golfo Dulce, and whitewater rafting in the cloud forests of Costa Rica. What better way to express Aventura experiences than through the words of students (and their mothers!) over the years at NSA:
  Who knew that life at boarding school could be so interesting and so much fun? Every day, New Summit Academy’s students and staff share rigorous academic discourse, once-in-a-lifetime experiential adventures, unique cultural immersion experiences, and exciting recreational opportunities. Take a look at what our students have done in just these past two weeks!
 Each October, Costa Rica celebrates the “Dia de las Culturas” or Culture Day, to recognize the diversity and cultural traditions that make the nation such an amazing place to live. Here at NSA, Daisy organizes a celebration involving the one cultural facet most guaranteed to engage our students: food! Students and staff work to prepare and share dishes that represent their own unique cultural heritage. NSA is a diverse community in itself, and this year we gathered to enjoy empanadas from Argentina, plantains in peanut sauce from Africa, homemade Italian bread, along with dozens of delicacies from Costa Rica and the U.S. Thanks to Daisy and all who contributed for a wonderful celebration of cultural diversity!  All NSA students participate in a Cultural Engagement and Immersion Program, which consists of language study and immersion, homestays, international travel, and a series of hands-on cultural activities that allows newer students to learn about Costa Rica and its rich heritage. This month, students explored the Bosque de Niño, created on the slopes of Volcano Poas to protect important watersheds. However, our students don’t only visit sites as tourists, but as travelers who engage and give back. Students worked for part of the day helping to repair the road leading into the park, and felt the appreciation of local visitors as they honked and waved to say “thank you!”
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