Blog Archives - New Summit Academy Costa Rica

Spanish Language & Cultural Immersion

12/1/2017

NSA students have a unique opportunity to develop true language mastery and cultural understanding through our Spanish and Cultural Immersion curriculum. Grammatical learning objectives are employed in the classroom as a means to enrich weekly cultural immersion activities, allowing students to approach the Costa Rican culture with more understanding and ability to engage.

Recent culminating immersion projects have included a presentation at the local elementary school on the country’s indigenous communities, trips to the farmer’s market, pick-up sports in San Jose's La Sabana Park and interviews with the local water institute about Atenas and water rights.

Many thanks to our dedicated Spanish Teachers and Experiential Education mentors for facilitating these opportunities for true cultural immersion.

Global Citizenship Workshop: Social Justice

11/28/2017

New Summit Academy’s Global Citizenship program is designed to develop important 21st-century skills and a global perspective that will be necessary for success in our increasingly complex world. Each quarter, students and our academic faculty engage in workshops, each focusing on one of the eight facets of what it means to be a global citizen. This quarter, teachers worked with students to investigate the issues surrounding Social Justice.

Our community investigated and discussed ideas including power and privilege, youth movements and their role in social justice, and issues of gender in society. We hope that our students (and staff!) ended this workshop with more awareness of social justice issues, and how to make intentional decisions to promote justice in our world.

Celebrating Thanksgiving at New Summit Academy

11/23/2017

The Thanksgiving holiday at NSA is all about our communities, and celebrating and giving thanks to those who are such an important part of our lives. Our students had bountiful opportunities to spend time with their various communities throughout the week.

Some of our families were able to join us for a New Family Workshop, engaging in family sessions, academic workshops and parent-teacher conferences, as well as important family time together in Costa Rica.

Our families, real and extended, gathered together on Thursday to prepare and share an amazing Thanksgiving dinner.

Students also brought a little bit of the holiday to their friends at Hogar de Vida children’s home, making turkey hats for the little ones, and serving lunch to the community.

NSA is thankful for all of our communities that do so much to enrich our lives!

Growing Up in the Age of Complexity (presentation)

11/20/2017

Presentation by Dr. Danny Recio & Dr. Heather Tracy at the Young Adult Transition Association conference in Coeur d'Alene, ID, in October 2017.

Learn more about 5 societal and cultural trends affecting youth development and how Supportive Immersion methods develop the PROPS which lead to self-generation and therefore integrative growth.

Highlights from Recent Integrated Aventuras

11/17/2017

New Summit Academy’s Integrated Aventuras serve as important rites of passage for our students as they reflect on their growth in the program while engaging with teachers, therapists and mentors in meaningful experiential activities throughout Costa Rica.

The progression of Aventuras reflects student growth as well, with locations beginning at sea level and gradually working their way to the culminating experience, summiting Mt. Chirripo, the highest point in Costa Rica. Each Aventura incorporates academic study, personal growth goals and experiential education activities to foster true engagement and integrated growth.

Here are a few highlights from this month's Aventuras to four unique parts of the country.

Kayaking the Golfo Dulce

11/15/2017

Pinnacle moments from our Kayak Aventura!

-Students were treated to a brilliant double rainbow at Playa Blanca, the first campsite of the journey

-The fishing was great, with students catching prized “chancho” fish, and turning them into fresh ceviche

-The rainy season brought clouds and mist to the night crossing of the gulf, adding to the magical atmosphere

Community Service with Osa Conservation

11/14/2017

Osa Peninsula conservation highlights:

-Assisting scientists with cataloging native trees

-Fascinating workshops by Costa Rica’s director of turtle conservation and a scientist who tracks big cats

-Releasing nearly 600 baby sea turtles into the waves, and finding a mother turtle nesting during nightly beach patrols

-A spirited soccer game with students, staff and members of the community that transcended language barriers

Cloud Forest Trekking and Rafting

11/12/2017

A Recap from our Cloud Forest Adventures:

-Snacking on sweet, ripe blackberries at Monte Sky Eco-Lodge and including them in a delicious pancake breakfast

- Integrating academic themes of cloud forest ecology and biomimicry with the personal growth process through an ecopsychological lens

-Spotting a beautiful vine snake and colorful poison dart frogs on the banks of the Pacuare River

-Climbing waterfalls and jumping into river pools while whitewater rafting

Corcovado National Park Explorations

11/10/2017

Highlights from our Corcovado Aventura!

-Seeing coatimundi, crocodiles, monkeys, toucans and an anteater in the rainforest

-Chilling at the lodge after a challenging and rain-drenched 13-mile hike

-Competing in an improvised driftwood javelin contest

-Learning about forest succession and light gaps from fallen trees while sitting on a fallen tree!

College Application Updates

11/1/2017

NSA’s seniors are currently in the midst of the college application process. As early action deadlines are here, and with regular decision deadlines approaching, our students are busy writing and editing essays, filling out applications, and requesting letters of recommendation. To arrive at this point, our students have spent the previous months involved in an introspective process to determine what characteristics will lead to their continued success. We then take those characteristics and generate schools which meet them, providing students with an initial list of possibilities. After much research, discussion, family input, and campus visits, students are now finalizing their apply-to lists and taking the steps to submit applications that reveal their unique stories of challenge and growth.

Best of luck to our seniors as they complete this important step!