  | Miguel Varela, or “Migue” as our students call him, has played an important role in the Experiential Education department since he joined NSA in 2009. Born in Argentina, Miguel brings his passions for sports, cooking, travel, and community service to his position as an EE Mentor and student advisor. In addition, Miguel coordinates our Homestay program as well as weekend cultural activities, and serves as a trip leader on Integrated Aventuras. Miguel’s presence on our campus is so impactful to our students, who often refer to him in their graduation speeches as a father figure while they are away from their families. Miguel gets plenty of practice at home, raising five (5!) children of his own, but returns to NSA each day full of energy and positivity, and models engagement, common sense, and the ability to balance fulfilling his responsibilities with a sense of humor that our students truly appreciate. Thank you, Miguel, for your dedication and contributions to our family at NSA! |
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  NSA students are beginning the quarter by planning for their continued growth with their SCAFA (which stands for Self, Community, and Future) Teams. On the first day of each quarter, NSA has a special schedule that allows students to each meet with their Academic Advisor, Experiential Education Mentor, and Case Manager – who make up their SCAFA Team – to review their quarterly goal plans and set concrete steps to achieve those goals. When not attending SCAFA Meetings, students are working to unpack from their home visits or Recreational Aventuras, organizing their iPads for the upcoming quarter, participating in community service in Atenas, and expending some adolescent energy on the basketball court, on the soccer field, or in the gym. SCAFA Day is one way we work to set up our students for success this quarter!   NSA has always believed that non-traditional education is the most effective way to reach a greater variety of learners and to better prepare them for our rapidly-evolving world. We have spent the past 15 years engaging students in experiential, collaborative, problem-based learning, and now we are sharing it with the world! This May, Heather Tracy and Martin Naffziger, our Executive Director and Director of Learning and Outcomes, traveled to Chicago to present: Why (and How) Non-Traditional Education Must Be the New Traditional. The presentation, given in front of a crowd of diverse educators, outlined the trends in adolescents and the world we are preparing them for, and how a different set of skills must be developed to best set them up for success. While in Chicago, we also had the chance to host a current and alumni parent meet-up, sharing updates and memories. Families of graduates from as far back as 2013 met and mingled with families of students graduating this May, so it was a truly special occasion. Thanks to all of our families for your continued support!   This past week, students returned from Integrated Aventuras in the rainforests and cloud forests of Costa Rica with stories to tell. Some of the highlights of the trips included: Community Service • Working hard on mangrove reforestation projects along the shores of the Golfo Dulce • Learning techniques for finding the highest quality coconuts • Developing the most efficient teamwork techniques for moving 4.5 cubic meters of gravel over two busy days to create rainy season-resistant flooring for new trails Kayak • Having the wind and current at their backs and high tides that coincided with arriving and leaving camp which made loading and unloading gear much easier • Seeing a pod of at least 30 dolphin at sunrise while crossing the Golfo Dulce • Catching mackerel, red snapper and tuna, and spotting sea turtles, different sting rays and even a whale shark! Cloud Forest • Creating the perfect shelter in a two-hour “team-building” exercise (though it miraculously didn’t rain, so the final design unfortunately wasn’t put to the ultimate test) • Celebrating two student birthdays, marked by setting an NSA record completing an excruciating 3km hike in just 37 minutes • On the last day of Aventura, making a bonfire by the river and roasting s’mores Costa Rican style • Students being vulnerable with each other about the bittersweet feelings of moving on, processing the great connections they’ve made during their time at NSA and preparing for the transition as graduation approaches
 This month, NSA’s newest club – the Birdwatching Club – took it upon themselves to organize a weekend trip into the cloud forests of Costa Rica. The trip coincided with the nesting season of one of Central America’s most stunning and most elusive avian species: the Resplendent Quetzal. Students and staff departed for the forested mountains on Friday, with the plan to rise early the next morning for the best quetzal spotting opportunity. After a sunrise yoga session led by one of our Case Managers, Andrea, the group began scanning the lush foliage for their prize. They identified dozens of different species and, in the end, their efforts paid off with a male quetzal displaying its iridescent plumage to the group for over 20 minutes. Nice work, birders! 
This February’s round of Integrated Aventuras engaged students in hiking, rafting, swimming, service work, and other amazing opportunities. While the physical challenge and natural beauty of NSA’s Aventuras are often highlighted in stories and photos, these experiences offer our students so much more.
These reasons, combined with the physical challenge and connection with nature, are why NSA’s Integrated Aventuras are some of the most meaningful and impactful experiences for all of our students, and why our alumni continue to speak about them 10 years after graduation!
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