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As New Summit Academy’s midterm week came to a close, the entire Academic faculty and student body turned the final day before Aventura into a unique learning experience. Students traveled in four groups – based on their cohort from the Global Citizenship Foundation Course – to different sites in the Central Valley to explore real-life situations where the facets of Global Citizenship are being promoted.
Newer students traveled with Adam, our Global Citizenship coordinator and organizer of the event, to Costa Rica’s University for Peace. At this United Nations-mandated higher education institution, the students performed community service, met with current UPeace students to exchange ideas about Global Citizenship, and engaged in a workshop on the Earth Charter. The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. The Earth Charter International Secretariat is located at the UPEACE Campus in Costa Rica.
Newer students traveled with Adam, our Global Citizenship coordinator and organizer of the event, to Costa Rica’s University for Peace. At this United Nations-mandated higher education institution, the students performed community service, met with current UPeace students to exchange ideas about Global Citizenship, and engaged in a workshop on the Earth Charter. The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. The Earth Charter International Secretariat is located at the UPEACE Campus in Costa Rica.
A second group of students – delving into the topic of sustainable development – traveled to a nearby organic farm. Here they learned from the farm manager – a young man who is transforming the “traditional” methods of farming using chemicals and genetically-modified foods. Students learned about his efforts to reintroduce ancient farming techniques using methods of permaculture, natural pesticides and organic fertilizers. Students also pitched in, helping to build planter boxes for future crops.
The third group traveled to the office of The Tico Times, the largest English-language newspaper in Central America. With the goal of exploring ideas of social justice and digital citizenship (the Times went 100% digital in recent years), students interviewed journalists at the newspaper about recent articles. Students were also excited to learn that this respected newspaper was started in the mid-1950’s by young students at the very same high school where they take their SAT and ACT exams!
NSA’s oldest students traveled to the Puriscal Valley reserve of Quitirrisi – home to the indigenous Guetares people. Students learned that the Guetares were once the largest, most dominant group of natives in Costa Rica, but that the Spanish conquest had diminished their population from tens of thousands to a mere 1,800 today. The son of the chief welcomed students into the village, and gave them an oral history of the people. Students then gathered firewood for a traditional spiritual cleansing ceremony, before working together with the chief’s son to clean the streets of litter.
Each group returned to campus with stories to tell about their Global Citizenship experiences. The Academic faculty plan to make these Field Learning trips a tradition for each mid-quarter week, which will only help enrich our one-of-a-kind program!
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NSA’s Academic Department mission states that we are working to develop in students a global perspective to apply knowledge to their own lives, their communities and their world. One method for accomplishing this mission is through our Global Citizenship program, which guides students to see their classes and projects through the lens of the eight facets of Global Citizenship: diversity, human rights, social justice, environmental stewardship, digital citizenship, sustainable development, conflict resolution and interconnectedness.
Adam, our Global Citizenship coordinator, works with all new students to develop a foundational knowledge of these facets – and apply that knowledge to class projects throughout the year. Adam has now organized quarterly enrichment field trips so that students are able to see these facets at play not just in their studies, but in the communities of Costa Rica.
This quarter, students will be learning about the Earth Charter in a tour of the University for Peace, exploring diversity with the indigenous community of Quitirrisi, investigating sustainable development at the organic farm La Nueva Era, and examining social justice issues with the Tico Times – Central America’s largest English language publication.
Thanks to Adam and the entire teaching team for continuing to enrich the innovative Academic program at New Summit Academy!
Adam, our Global Citizenship coordinator, works with all new students to develop a foundational knowledge of these facets – and apply that knowledge to class projects throughout the year. Adam has now organized quarterly enrichment field trips so that students are able to see these facets at play not just in their studies, but in the communities of Costa Rica.
This quarter, students will be learning about the Earth Charter in a tour of the University for Peace, exploring diversity with the indigenous community of Quitirrisi, investigating sustainable development at the organic farm La Nueva Era, and examining social justice issues with the Tico Times – Central America’s largest English language publication.
Thanks to Adam and the entire teaching team for continuing to enrich the innovative Academic program at New Summit Academy!
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NSA’s January Health term is an intensive, three-week series of workshops and classes that focus on a holistic view of healthy young adulthood.
The first two weeks of the term consist of a collaborative effort -- with all staff from each department facilitating rich learning experiences based on our new student assessment system, which details characteristics of a healthy Self, healthy Community and healthy Future.
The Personal Growth department’s therapists and case managers engaged the students in workshops and hands-on activities relating to Identity, healthy Relationships, and Executive Functioning in the teenage brain.
The Experiential Education mentors conducted courses on Physical Health, Nutrition and Mindfulness.
And the Academic Department’s teachers worked with students in Career Exploration and Application Skills using Initiative workshops where students wrote themselves into their personal Hero Journeys, and in Resilience activities.
To celebrate the two weeks, the departments collaborated with our resident Master of Games, Matthew, to learn about and realize the importance of play in our lives. Students dueled it out in lip-sync contests (teachers set the bar with The Who’s Baba O’Riley), inventing games, and in an epic competition of capture-the-flag!
The third week of the Health Term has students and staff working with members of the Wilderness Medicine Institute to earn professional certifications in Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA).
The first two weeks of the term consist of a collaborative effort -- with all staff from each department facilitating rich learning experiences based on our new student assessment system, which details characteristics of a healthy Self, healthy Community and healthy Future.
The Personal Growth department’s therapists and case managers engaged the students in workshops and hands-on activities relating to Identity, healthy Relationships, and Executive Functioning in the teenage brain.
The Experiential Education mentors conducted courses on Physical Health, Nutrition and Mindfulness.
And the Academic Department’s teachers worked with students in Career Exploration and Application Skills using Initiative workshops where students wrote themselves into their personal Hero Journeys, and in Resilience activities.
To celebrate the two weeks, the departments collaborated with our resident Master of Games, Matthew, to learn about and realize the importance of play in our lives. Students dueled it out in lip-sync contests (teachers set the bar with The Who’s Baba O’Riley), inventing games, and in an epic competition of capture-the-flag!
The third week of the Health Term has students and staff working with members of the Wilderness Medicine Institute to earn professional certifications in Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA).
