Category: Experiential Education - New Summit Academy Costa Rica

Is a Gap Year for us?

6/8/2022

What if you were guaranteed immense clarity and direction just from taking a simple year off of school to travel abroad? What if it could propel you way farther than jumping straight into college? Would you do it without hesitation?

Danny Recio, Director and Founder of The Bridge Gap Program, took a gap year in South Africa after high school. It was during his time there where he had a “coming of age” experience and found his calling in working with people. All because of his time abroad, Danny went on to start gap year programs - a therapeutic option called The Bridge (a therapeutic community for young men) and a more traditional coed gap program (Si! Gap Program) in Costa Rica, guiding them along their own coming of age experiences.

In this episode of Success is Subjective, Danny joins Joanna to share his journey as he traveled as a young adult, exploring different cultures and how his gap year experience has stuck with him, even a decade later. Listen in for Danny’s insight on the impact the right gap year program can have on a young adult, possibly changing the entire trajectory of their life.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-118-making-the-most-of-your-young-adulthood/id1499891712?i=1000550592741

What You Will Learn

What it was like growing up and going to school in Costa Rica
Danny’s gap year in South Africa
How impactful and helpful taking a gap year can be
When Danny became interested in psychology
Danny’s experience in college in Costa Rica vs the U.S.
Danny’s insight on what can be really helpful for young adults as they navigate their identity and the world around them
How The Bridge Gap Program came about
Danny’s advice on goal setting
Connect with Danny Recio at his Bridge email or his NSA email

Aventura #2 ~ the Charm of Corcovado

3/26/2021

Another wonderful rite of passage trip for the Corcovado cohort. #costarica #aventura #corcovado

WAFA certification an annual event at NSA!

5/7/2020

More Than College Prep: NSA is Life Prep!

2/20/2020

Experiential learning, project and problem-based classes, rigorous standards, comprehensive student portfolios - there is no doubt that New Summit Academy’s Academic Program is college-prep.

But NSA is much more than college-prep; we prepare our students for life! Our students have struggled but developed the resilience to persevere. They have learned how they learn and how to advocate for themselves, have lived away from home in dorms (doing their own laundry and chores!) Our students have immersed in a different culture and language, have performed community service like no other, and have developed healthy coping mechanisms and re-connected with their families.

New Summit Academy graduates: PREPARED FOR LIFE!

Thanksgiving at New Summit Academy

11/27/2019

This holiday week, most of our students are spending Thanksgiving with their families. Those students spending the holiday with New Summit Academy have a week full of fun and celebration!

Activities include:

Go Karting
Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
Whitewater Rafting
Hiking in the Cloud Forest
Swimming and Surfing at the Beach

And, of course, students and staff will collaborate in preparing and sitting down to a delicious, traditional Thanksgiving dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our extended family at New Summit Academy!

NSA in Peru & South Africa!

9/16/2019

New Summit Academy continues to offer its students once-in-a-lifetime travel and immersion opportunities!

This past month, students and staff traveled to either Peru or South Africa, engaging with local cultures, performing community service, marveling at the beauty of these nations, and having some fun! Here are just a few of the activities that students experienced in their travels:

-Whitewater rafting the Apurimac River
-Learning how graffiti is used for positive social change
-Working in the Sacred Valley alongside the Amaru indigenous community
-Spotting hippos and rhino while on safari
-Hiking through the Andes on the Auzangate trek
-Exploring Machu Picchu

What a month for New Summit Academy!

We are Accredited by AEE!

9/11/2019

As of 2019, New Summit Academy passed the high standards set by the Outdoor Behavioral Health council and the Association for Experiential Education. We are so proud of all of our staff and students who made this a possibility.

A special thanks goes to Andy Myers, Experiential Education Director, and his amazing team - especially Eric Cano, Miguel Varela, Tom Hutten, Sam Forti, James Mas, and our other departments - Personal Growth, Administration, and Academics - who all made this possible with their never ending quest for high standards!

Congrats, NSA!

August Experiential Session Part I: WAFA

8/21/2019

This past week, our students have been engaged alongside out staff in working toward earning their Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) certifications.

New Summit Academy has been pairing with the Wilderness Medicine Institute for years 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 Integrated, Recreational, and International Aventuras.

Throughout the week-long course, our dedicated WAFA instructors teach students how to recognize and respond to a variety of situations that include:

- Risk management and assessment
- Patient assessment techniques
- Injury management
- Common wilderness medical problems

Each time students learned classroom content, everyone sprang into action, with half of our students and staff simulating medical emergencies on campus, and the other half acting as the first-aid responders, with the support of our teachers and instructors throughout the process. This is true (and very valuable) experiential education!

August Experiential Session at New Summit Academy

8/13/2019

This month brings exciting, hands-on experiential learning for our students and staff!

Below is a quick introduction to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that our community will be engaging in during the coming weeks:

Wilderness Advanced First Aid & CPR Certification
Students and staff will work together in this week-long, professional-level certification program, guided by the Wilderness Medicine Institute. Lessons on risk management and prevention, site surveys, CPR, and emergency treatment will be paired with hands-on simulated emergency scenarios where students will put their knowledge into action.

South Africa International Aventura
Some of our more senior students will travel to South Africa for what is sure to be a life-changing adventure. After getting to know Cape Town and introductions to local communities, students will participate in wildlife safaris, team-building exercises with local nonprofits, visits to museums and historical sites, and even a workshop with a local artist on using graffiti to bring positive change to communities!

Peru International Aventura
Many of our NSA students will travel to Peru to experience the Sacred Valley as few visitors ever get to do. The journey begins with an introduction to the ancient city of Cuzco and exploring the Incan site of Machu Picchu and Pisac. Students will then raft the Apurimac River before hiking the challenging but stunningly beautiful Ausangate Trek!

Costa Rica Orientation Aventura
Our newest NSA students will spend a week on two separate trips, with some relax time on campus in-between, getting to know the beauty and fun that Costa Rica has to offer. The first leg will introduce students to the Pacific Coast, where they will spend time on the beaches and sea kayaking. White water rafting on the world-famous Sarapiqui and zip-lining through the rainforests of Arenal make up the second trip. What a way to start at NSA!

SCUBA Certification in Bocas del Toro
To round out the August Experiential Session, a group of students and staff will travel to the archipelago of Bocas del Toro in Panama to earn their SCUBA Certifications. Bocas is world-renowned for its stunning beaches, coral reefs, and populations of marine mammals. This Aventura is sure to be remembered!

No other school on the planet engages its students in experiential learning like New Summit Academy!

Sneak Peek at our August Experiential Session

7/30/2019

This month, NSA will celebrate the graduation of four young men, ready to venture into the world and experience continued success.

After graduation, our students and staff will engage in a month of experiential learning, including the Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) certification course, international Aventuras to Peru and South Africa, and a SCUBA certification in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

Stay tuned for more updates on these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities!

New Summit Academy Costa Rica is a supportive boarding school and study abroad experience for high school males in grades 9-12.

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We hope you appreciate our authenticity and transparency - they are our best qualities!

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