    | 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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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!
As testimonials from parents and students continue to pour in, we couldn’t help but share just one more: “I am so grateful for the entire staff of NSA for their attention to so many details of the whole well-rounded program that helped our family through a difficult time. I felt very welcomed as a parent and regularly included, even though we were in another country for the year our son lived in Costa Rica. The fresh mangoes in May were especially memorable for me as we met with other parents and families during the first family session about three months into our son’s time there. I loved that you included time outdoors as a major part of the curriculum - as I firmly believe it is healing and provides clarity and peace to be outdoors. Our son loved the hiking and swimming and kayaking and seems to have a lifelong desire now to continue finding higher mountains to climb, both literally and figuratively.”   New Summit Academy’s August Aventuras provided students and staff with once-in-a-lifetime experiences! Some kayaked the Golfo Dulce, some hiked through Corcovado National Park, while others performed community service helping in reforestation and conservation efforts. Students waded rivers, caught fresh fish on hand lines, learned about biological relationships and watershed ecology, spotted tapir and sea turtles and -- most importantly -- grew as a community and returned to campus ready to continue that growth!
After a rigorous school semester, students and staff are ready for some fun and relaxation, and the recreational Aventura delivered! Students traveled to Manuel Antonio National Park and spent their days swimming in the ocean, hiking to spectacular waterfalls, playing soccer on the wide beaches, and exploring the park, one of the most beautiful in Costa Rica. Students returned to campus ready for their next adventure: Peru!
New Summit Academy is fortunate to have many of our students return to “give back” to the program and to serve as interns and valuable mentors for our current students. This summer, we proudly welcomed a 2016 graduate, Zach, who has joined our team during a college break. Zach, who is double majoring in Physics and the Classics, was generous enough to share some of his experiences with us 
This month, each student participated in one of our experiential, hands-on Aventura experiences, based on their progress within the program. This round of Aventuras was particularly effective in building student-staff relationships, developing leadership with emerging seniors, and enhancing our community’s supportive, positive milieu.   Community Service with Osa Conservation Students, staff and volunteers from around the world teamed up to work side-by-side with the professionals from Osa Conservation in their preservation and protection efforts of the habitats and species of the area. Everyone pitched in without hesitation to create a nursery for balsa trees, which are very important for native animal species including monkeys and scarlet macaws. Students also built a new turtle hatchery, learned about reforestation, big cats, sea turtle conservation, and were rewarded with the opportunity to release baby turtles on the beach!  Kayak Explorations on the Golfo Dulce Students in their second full quarter at NSA joined a seasoned group of staff – including our Director of Personal Growth, Director of Experiential Education and Director of Program Integrity – in a 5-day kayaking expedition around the spectacular Golfo Dulce. Students said that they were initially nervous about going on Aventura with so many “administrators," but at the end of the trip expressed that they had an amazing time and were pleased to have spent time with the staff. Highlights of the trip included: - Learning about mangrove ecosystems while swimming in an estuary - Student success at catching fish, including some first-time fishermen - Sighting dolphin, sea turtles, monkeys and stingrays - Spotting bioluminescence, watching the sunrise and catching tuna on the night crossing
Corcovado National Park Highlights The setting of our Corcovado Aventura – surrounded by primary rainforest teeming with animals – made for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our students in their third full quarter. Students learned about biological relationships and forest succession while spotting wildlife that included multiple anteaters (two with babies in tow), three tapir that walked through a rainforest class, and an impressive boa constrictor seen moving along the forest floor next to a poison dart frog!
 Cloud Forest Adventures
Our more senior students spent the week exploring Costa Rica's cool cloud forest on foot and raft, on a trip where they take charge of their growth and logistics, including menu planning (this trip actually had one student try peanut butter and jelly for the first time!) Students braved hanging bridges, technical trails, and the frigid waters of the high-altitude streams, even taking some time to be kids and build a waterfall dam. Classes focused on ecological communities and how these relate to students’ relationships within their communities. Our English teacher, Brooke, even channeled Mary Shelley and inspired a scary story session in the evening. Check out the Cloud Forest video she shared with us!  NSA’s signature Aventura program consists of five integrated adventures exploring the diverse and beautiful ecosystems of Costa Rica while providing students a chance to reflect on their growth and return to campus recharged. The Aventuras are intentionally designed to begin at sea level and progress to the students’ final experience: summiting the highest peak in Costa Rica, Cerro Chirripo. Each student makes the climb alone, beginning before dawn, silently contemplating his process. After climbing nearly 10,000 feet, graduating students meet at the summit to celebrate their efforts – both on the mountain and in their time at New Summit Academy. As a reminder that this moment is the beginning of their journeys, students are reminded of the Zen proverb “When you reach the top of a mountain, keep climbing!”
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