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The work of New Summit Academy and The Bridge Costa Rica was featured this week in the blog and newsletter of the International Therapist Directory, an online global listing of more than 450 therapists in at least 60 countries providing culturally sensitive treatment and care for internationally mobile families.
Have a look inside the guest blog post:
There can be no question that navigating adolescence and young adulthood today is a complex task. The lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, growing rates of anxiety and depression among youth, and the increasing awareness of risks associated with smartphone use creates a challenging social and emotional landscape for “The Anxious Generation.”
While children of internationally mobile families and Third Culture Kids possess distinct skills and strengths to aid them in their development – a global perspective, cognitive flexibility, a deeper awareness and appreciation for diversity, and a heightened sense of empathy, to name a few – they are certainly not immune to the complexities faced by this generation. If anything, the well-documented psychosocial and educational challenges TCKs experience – identity conflict, grief and loss, anxiety and depression, feelings of isolation and disconnection – has been exacerbated in recent years.
When supportive schooling and counseling options are limited in a TCK’s country of residence, or when children of globally mobile families simply need an opportunity to reset and focus on building skills for mental fitness, two unique options exist in a country long associated with health and wellness: Costa Rica.
While children of internationally mobile families and Third Culture Kids possess distinct skills and strengths to aid them in their development – a global perspective, cognitive flexibility, a deeper awareness and appreciation for diversity, and a heightened sense of empathy, to name a few – they are certainly not immune to the complexities faced by this generation. If anything, the well-documented psychosocial and educational challenges TCKs experience – identity conflict, grief and loss, anxiety and depression, feelings of isolation and disconnection – has been exacerbated in recent years.
When supportive schooling and counseling options are limited in a TCK’s country of residence, or when children of globally mobile families simply need an opportunity to reset and focus on building skills for mental fitness, two unique options exist in a country long associated with health and wellness: Costa Rica.
Read the full article here:
Five Reasons Why Costa Rica Works for TCKs of "The Anxious Generation."
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Students and parents often ask what a supportive boarding school or therapeutic program “looks like” for college admissions. The answer is that – if presented correctly – students’ experiences before and during their time at New Summit Academy or The Bridge Costa Rica can make applications stand out and show colleges that our students are more college-ready than many students who haven’t had their experiences.
New Summit Academy’s students work with our certified college counselor and our supportive teachers, mentors, and therapists to complete the “traditional” steps for the college application, including preparing for and taking standardized tests (along with applying for accommodations when eligible), identifying characteristics of colleges and universities and generating apply-to lists, writing and revising essays, and completing and submitting applications before their deadlines.
However, our students’ non-traditional opportunities, those that make them really stand out, are what make New Summit Academy and The Bridge one-of-a-kind, powerful facilitators of experiences that result in applications that are very attractive to the schools our students want to attend.
However, our students’ non-traditional opportunities, those that make them really stand out, are what make New Summit Academy and The Bridge one-of-a-kind, powerful facilitators of experiences that result in applications that are very attractive to the schools our students want to attend.
Think about it. New Summit Academy and The Bridge graduates have:
- Faced and overcome challenges
- Developed an understanding of their learning styles
- Learned to advocate for their needs
- Lived away from home in a dorm with peers
- Cultivated significant international experience and multicultural skills
- Developed a resume like no other that includes cultural immersion, volunteer work, leadership opportunities, international travel, internship opportunities, and professional-level certifications
If we use essays, resumes, activities, and letters of recommendation to highlight these facts, our students have a unique advantage when applying to college.
Need some proof? Here are a few statistics from last year’s college application season:
- Graduating Seniors Accepted to College: 100%
- Colleges Applied to Offering Admission: 69%
- Acceptances from "Colleges That Change Lives": Six
- Total Merit Scholarships Offered for Fall of 2024: $2,000,500
- Average Merit Award Offer: $75,000
Finally, here is the impressive list of schools – as unique and diverse as our students – where last year’s seniors enrolled:
The University of Miami, Curry College, Santa Clara University, The University of Southern California, Dickinson College, The University of Connecticut, St. Lawrence University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, The University of Arizona, and Montana State University
This year’s seniors are in the middle of their application process, so wish them luck!
Hi NSA staff, we just hugged Jack goodbye at college an hour ago and I just had to write a quick note of thanks to you who had such an important guiding influence in Jack's life. He is so much better prepared for life and college since he spent 15 months with you all. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to helping young men like Jack work through their issues and become better equipped to socialize with, and to take on, their world. Thanks for letting Jack into your heart for the short time he was with you. I will remain thankful for my entire life that he was helped at NSA.
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School Management Plus, a leading platform in the United Kingdom for commentary, news, and features about independent, international and UK state education, has published a profile on New Summit Academy Costa Rica this month in their Spotlight on a School feature!
Have a look inside the article:
At first glance, New Summit Academy Costa Rica is like any other international boarding school.
Students stroll across campus from the academic building after class and begin to occupy themselves with boarding life. A spontaneous basketball game takes shape on the outdoor court, a jam session kicks off in the music studio and a student council meets to discuss plans for a surf and scuba weekend. Elsewhere, members of the cooking club head into town to pick up ingredients for the evening snack.
But look a little closer and a different story emerges. Nearly 2.4 million international tourists flock to the small tropical country each year in search of wellness and a bit of adventure. In the same way, New Summit Academy harnesses the therapeutic qualities of Costa Rica to empower students to adopt healthier lifestyles and to stretch their minds through experiences that rekindle motivation in school and in life...
Students stroll across campus from the academic building after class and begin to occupy themselves with boarding life. A spontaneous basketball game takes shape on the outdoor court, a jam session kicks off in the music studio and a student council meets to discuss plans for a surf and scuba weekend. Elsewhere, members of the cooking club head into town to pick up ingredients for the evening snack.
But look a little closer and a different story emerges. Nearly 2.4 million international tourists flock to the small tropical country each year in search of wellness and a bit of adventure. In the same way, New Summit Academy harnesses the therapeutic qualities of Costa Rica to empower students to adopt healthier lifestyles and to stretch their minds through experiences that rekindle motivation in school and in life...
Read the full article here: Spotlight on a School: New Summit Academy, Costa Rica
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Last week, our students and staff engaged in experiential learning while working toward earning their Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and CPR certifications.
New Summit Academy partnered with the American Health and Safety Institute (ASHI) in facilitating this professional-level certification for students and staff as an opportunity to truly challenge themselves in an experiential, hands-on curriculum, as well as to help with our risk management during weeklong national park adventure trips in Costa Rica and international culture travel.
Throughout the week-long course, our dedicated ASHI instructors taught students and staff how to recognize and respond to a variety of situations that include:
Whenever students engaged with classroom material, everyone jumped into action. Half of the students and staff scattered across campus simulating medical emergencies, while the other half served as first-aid responders, all guided by our ASHI instructors.
- Risk management and assessment
- Patient assessment techniques
- Injury management
- Common wilderness medical problems
Whenever students engaged with classroom material, everyone jumped into action. Half of the students and staff scattered across campus simulating medical emergencies, while the other half served as first-aid responders, all guided by our ASHI instructors.
The WFA and CPR certification week truly exemplifies the value of experiential education at New Summit Academy!
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At New Summit Academy in Costa Rica, experiential Spanish language learning transforms traditional education into an immersive adventure.
Our Spanish Language program serves to enrich our students’ experiences in Costa Rica, combining classroom study and academic rigor with hands-on application of learning, fostering both language proficiency and cultural understanding.
New Summit Academy's approach to Spanish language education is rooted in practical application rather than rote memorization. Students carry their classroom study of Spanish into the real world as they explore local markets, engage in community service projects, cook traditional meals, and share daily experiences with their homestay families.
Our learners use Spanish in real-world contexts, enhancing their conversational skills and cultural awareness.
One incredible aspect of New Summit Academy is its location in and connection with Costa Rica, its natural beauty, and its cultural diversity as a living classroom. Students practice their Spanish hiking in the rainforest, practicing salsa in dance lessons, surfing on beach excursions, ordering at local restaurants, and even living on campus where the majority of our staff are bilingual. These experiences reinforce vocabulary and grammar development, but also deepen students' connection to Costa Rican culture and its rich biodiversity.
New Summit Academy's experiential Spanish language program exemplifies the Supportive Immersion approach to growth and learning, where students are provided the scaffolding needed to step outside of their comfort zones and develop skills, competencies, and insights in the real world.
By blending academic instruction with scaffolded, real-life experiences, students develop valuable skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
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New Summit Academy’s dedicated teachers work closely with students and advising teams to develop a sense of curiosity alongside academic skills for success in order to instill in our students a passion for lifelong learning. Teachers don’t simply teach these skills, however, but also act as mentors and models in their own lifelong learning pursuits.
Here are a few highlights of our incredible teachers’ continuous professional-development journeys:
Juan Diego Rodriguez, our Science Teacher and fitness coordinator, strives to integrate his passion for health and physical fitness into his curriculum, and even teaches a Fitness Science course as an elective! Juan Diego is currently completing a master’s degree in Sports Science, which includes classes in physiology, biomechanics, investigation methods, and meta-analysis of data, all which serve to enrich his classroom work with our students.
Our Documentary Filmmaking and Photography teacher, Stephen Kopels, is continuously studying the craft in order to stay abreast of the rapidly-evolving technologies in video and film editing software. NSA’s editing studio is equipped with Avid, the predominant leader in professional editing software in feature and documentary films, and Stephen’s mastery of these technologies is key to engaging our creative students in his classes.
Peter Gottovi, NSA’s Social Studies teacher and coordinator of our Music Studio and Music classes continuously strives to bring his classes to life by incorporating technologies and perspectives necessary to succeed as civic-minded citizens in our ever-evolving world. Recently, Peter has attended the GEMS Conference, focusing on gender equality, as well as participated in a number of humanities workshops offered by PBS, iCivics, The Representation Project, The Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab, Facing History & Ourselves, Climate Interactive and the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, and Ad Fontes Media Literacy.
While teaching Spanish and helping to coordinate NSA’s Cultural Immersion program, Vianney Medina - who already holds a bachelor’s degree in Teaching Spanish as a Second Language - has now earned her associate’s degree in English, and is working toward a second bachelor’s degree in English, which proves very beneficial to Vianney in order to communicate and connect better with her students.
Yannick Pilgrim, New Summit Academy’s English Literature and Composition teacher, recently participated in a four-month professional development workshop called The Teacher as a Mentor, where teachers were encouraged to embrace their role as mentors for their students. This year, Yannick also completed a Neuroeducation Certification, guiding teachers to combine their knowledge of neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, and the principles of education to create more impactful lessons. Yannick is currently earning a certificate in Agile Project Management by Google.
Yannick Pilgrim, New Summit Academy’s English Literature and Composition teacher, recently participated in a four-month professional development workshop called The Teacher as a Mentor, where teachers were encouraged to embrace their role as mentors for their students. This year, Yannick also completed a Neuroeducation Certification, guiding teachers to combine their knowledge of neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, and the principles of education to create more impactful lessons. Yannick is currently earning a certificate in Agile Project Management by Google.
NSA’s Mathematics teacher and math genius, Tonny Garita, recently completed his (second!) master's degree in Mathematics Teaching at the Universidad de Antioquia in Colombia with Summa Cum Laude distinction. In doing so, Tonny singlehandedly wrote a textbook on differential calculus applied to agricultural sciences, which is currently being published in Costa Rica. Tonny presented his findings at international symposiums in Costa Rica and Colombia. Additionally, Tonny has recently trained in creating effective animated resources and classroom design using the inverted classroom methodology.
During his time working at New Summit Academy, Martin Naffziger, our Academic Director and College Guidance Counselor, has added to his bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Creative Writing by earning both a master’s degree in International Education as well as a graduate degree in College Counseling. Martin continues to research and share knowledge and education techniques, and has presented at national and international conferences on topics including Integrating Executive Functioning Training into the Classroom and how to use Goal-Driven Learning to Engage Students.
During his time working at New Summit Academy, Martin Naffziger, our Academic Director and College Guidance Counselor, has added to his bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Creative Writing by earning both a master’s degree in International Education as well as a graduate degree in College Counseling. Martin continues to research and share knowledge and education techniques, and has presented at national and international conferences on topics including Integrating Executive Functioning Training into the Classroom and how to use Goal-Driven Learning to Engage Students.
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At New Summit Academy, we emphasize student agency by integrating personal choice and self-discovery into every aspect of student life. One clear example of this agency is in our students’ daily schedules.
While students have the structure and support you might find at a traditional boarding school, they are given the flexibility to schedule activities and responsibilities at times that work best for them.
Through our advising process, students collaborate with their PROPS Teams to craft a balanced weekly schedule that aligns with their healthy lifestyle goals, putting into practice executive functioning skills like time management and organization.
Whether they aim to improve the ways they incorporate regular exercise into their lives, try out new activities, or explore more deeply the cultural richness of Costa Rica, students have a wide array of options and support for creating their weekly schedules.
Each week students can choose from fitness options like surfing, mountain biking, running, soccer, yoga, basketball, or personal training sessions in the gym and, by working alongside their advising team to evaluate what times work best for them - whether in the morning, after school, or in the evening - they can use trial and error to tailor their healthy lifestyle routine to reach the best version of themselves.
Each week students can choose from fitness options like surfing, mountain biking, running, soccer, yoga, basketball, or personal training sessions in the gym and, by working alongside their advising team to evaluate what times work best for them - whether in the morning, after school, or in the evening - they can use trial and error to tailor their healthy lifestyle routine to reach the best version of themselves.
Our student-led clubs, cultural immersion experiences and weekend activities, led by our talented Experiential Education staff, further enrich student life at NSA, offering opportunities to dive into both physical and cultural pursuits.
From exploring Costa Rica’s breathtaking natural beauty to immersing in its vibrant culture, students engage in activities that foster personal growth and community involvement. This hands-on approach allows them to experiment, reflect, and ultimately take ownership of their choices, leading to a more fulfilling and self-directed educational journey.
From exploring Costa Rica’s breathtaking natural beauty to immersing in its vibrant culture, students engage in activities that foster personal growth and community involvement. This hands-on approach allows them to experiment, reflect, and ultimately take ownership of their choices, leading to a more fulfilling and self-directed educational journey.
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One way we empower students to practice their own agency at New Summit Academy is through a dynamic advising process, and our quarterly PROPS Day features as a key moment for students to create actionable steps to develop strategies to reach their academic, healthy lifestyle and personal growth goals.
Meeting on the first day of each new academic term, PROPS Day is a dedicated time for students to sit down with their advising teams and plan for the weeks ahead.
Each student’s advising team - or PROPS Team - is composed of a therapist, a therapist assistant, an academic advisor and two experiential education mentors. Together, they use a “Green, Yellow, and Red” system to help students outline actionable steps toward their goals for the term.
As the academic term progresses, PROPS team members will meet weekly with students to help students review and reflect on their progress, shift gears to new strategies when needed, and celebrate the incremental steps taken towards internalizing habits and skills.
Each student’s advising team - or PROPS Team - is composed of a therapist, a therapist assistant, an academic advisor and two experiential education mentors. Together, they use a “Green, Yellow, and Red” system to help students outline actionable steps toward their goals for the term.
As the academic term progresses, PROPS team members will meet weekly with students to help students review and reflect on their progress, shift gears to new strategies when needed, and celebrate the incremental steps taken towards internalizing habits and skills.
The PROPS Team also helps each student manage their time productively at New Summit Academy by guiding them through an array of healthy lifestyle activities offered - from surfing after class to evening basketball, morning gym with a personal trainer to afternoon mountain biking - in order to build a balanced and appealing weekly schedule of constructive engagement.
This approach extends to academic advising as well. Students are empowered to try new strategies for executive functioning, organization of school work, study plans and more in order to remain engaged in their classes and work toward their academic goals.
This approach extends to academic advising as well. Students are empowered to try new strategies for executive functioning, organization of school work, study plans and more in order to remain engaged in their classes and work toward their academic goals.
In all of these processes, students have agency in choosing what they want to try out and, through trial and error, students can live the things that they want to try so that they can figure out through the experience what works best for them.
New Summit Academy’s process-based scaffolding approach not only allows the advising team to provide support and structure for each student’s strengths and needs, it also puts students in the driver’s seat to first co-create the strategies needed to reach their goals and gradually take over the navigation process themselves.
The more actively involved the students are in the advising process, the more ownership they feel about their personal growth at New Summit Academy, equipping them for success both during their time in Costa Rica and beyond.
New Summit Academy’s process-based scaffolding approach not only allows the advising team to provide support and structure for each student’s strengths and needs, it also puts students in the driver’s seat to first co-create the strategies needed to reach their goals and gradually take over the navigation process themselves.
The more actively involved the students are in the advising process, the more ownership they feel about their personal growth at New Summit Academy, equipping them for success both during their time in Costa Rica and beyond.
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New Summit Academy is excited to welcome Yannick Pilgrim as our new teacher of English Literature, Composition, and Creative Writing. Before landing at NSA, Yannick’s journey as a student-athlete took him from his homeland of Trinidad and Tobago to the US where he attended The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut prior to completing his undergraduate degree at Davidson College.
An impactful study abroad experience brought Yannick to Costa Rica in 2010. After graduating from Davidson College, he returned to Costa Rica to teach English and pursue his MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language at the University of Costa Rica.
An impactful study abroad experience brought Yannick to Costa Rica in 2010. After graduating from Davidson College, he returned to Costa Rica to teach English and pursue his MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language at the University of Costa Rica.
Yannick strives to create classes that make literature more relatable so that students become more self-motivated when dealing with more challenging texts and tasks.
Yannick firmly believes in working closely with colleagues to create interdisciplinary projects that facilitate the consolidation of students’ knowledge and skills. He also often incorporates his passion for the outdoors, sports, film, and food into his daily lessons.
Welcome, Yannick, we are looking forward to having you as part of the academic team and the NSA family!
Yannick firmly believes in working closely with colleagues to create interdisciplinary projects that facilitate the consolidation of students’ knowledge and skills. He also often incorporates his passion for the outdoors, sports, film, and food into his daily lessons.
Welcome, Yannick, we are looking forward to having you as part of the academic team and the NSA family!
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