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The shores of the Osa Peninsula are ancient nesting sites for a number of different sea turtle species, and our students spent a week preparing for and aiding the nesting season.
Days were spent sifting sand to create safe sanctuaries for hatchlings and planting trees to conserve important beachfront land.
At night, students and staff donned red headlamps (which don’t disturb nesting mothers) to search for nests and relocate precious eggs to the new hatcheries to ensure that more hatchlings survive to return in coming years.
Days were spent sifting sand to create safe sanctuaries for hatchlings and planting trees to conserve important beachfront land.
At night, students and staff donned red headlamps (which don’t disturb nesting mothers) to search for nests and relocate precious eggs to the new hatcheries to ensure that more hatchlings survive to return in coming years.
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Students engaged in true experiential learning during a five-day kayaking expedition around the unspoiled “Sweet Gulf” in southern Costa Rica. When they weren't paddling, catching red snapper for dinner, and competing in the famous “Tent Partner Olympics,” students were studying the six different ecosystems they encountered (while up to their chins in mangrove estuaries), swimming in the pelagic zone’s 600 feet of water, and snorkeling over coral fringe reefs.
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Students and staff on this Aventura were extraordinarily lucky to witness an astounding array of wildlife in this biodiverse rain forest. While performing community service cleaning beaches and studying forest succession, students spotted Baird's tapir, deer, four species of monkeys, a two-toed sloth and – the highlight of the trip – a family of three pumas hunting spider monkeys!
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Tapanti National Park – an explosion of green in Costa Rica’s cloud forest – hosted students and staff as they hiked, camped and rafted while studying ecological communities and biomimicry (looking to nature for innovations and solutions to human issues).
These senior students used this unique opportunity to reflect on their entire Aventura experience as well as their growth at New Summit Academy.
These senior students used this unique opportunity to reflect on their entire Aventura experience as well as their growth at New Summit Academy.
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This month, students, staff and alumni of New Summit Academy will embark on SIX different Aventuras! Next month’s issue will report in detail on these amazing experiences, but here’s a sneak peek:
-Building hatcheries for nesting sea turtles during the day, while patrolling the beaches of the Osa Peninsula by night, searching for turtle eggs to relocate to the safety of a sanctuary.
-Kayaking along the shores of the Golfo Dulce, studying mangrove and coral reef ecosystems, fishing for lunch and dinner, and participating in the ever-popular Tent Partner Olympics.
-Hiking through the spectacularly biodiverse Corcovado National Park, learning about the process of forest succession, while keeping an eye out for tapir, monkeys, sloths, anteaters and even puma!
-Trekking to the rustic but beautiful Monte Sky retreat, and then rafting through the high-altitude forests of Tapanti National Park, and studying the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the complexities of the cloud forest.
-A first-of-its-kind staff & alumni trip to SOUTH AFRICA, exploring the beauty and culture, and investigating possibilities for future young adult opportunities. (Pics to come...)
-A remarkable opportunity for Second Summit students to travel to CUBA, to interact with its people and learn from them about daily life and how the nation’s unique history has shaped it.
New Summit Academy’s one-of-a-kind Aventura program continues to shape tomorrow’s Global Citizens!
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Arriving to New Summit Academy for the first time can be an overwhelming experience for new students: there are classes to attend, students to meet, staff to get to know, and rules to learn. However, our innovative Orientation program helps new students to more quickly adjust to and engage in our community.
Each new student is paired up with a peer mentor, who serves as a guide during the one-month Orientation program. These students and their mentors spend a weekend off-campus on the slopes of Poas Volcano, discussing the school, Atenas and Costa Rica while enjoying the natural beauty of the area.
Each new student is paired up with a peer mentor, who serves as a guide during the one-month Orientation program. These students and their mentors spend a weekend off-campus on the slopes of Poas Volcano, discussing the school, Atenas and Costa Rica while enjoying the natural beauty of the area.
New students complete a checklist of steps designed to help them understand what they can expect during their time at NSA, including reviewing their Course Progression Plans, analyzing their aptitudes and interests, and setting goals for academic and personal growth development. By the end of the students’ Orientation period, they are fully engaged in the NSA process, and ready for continued success.
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This month, students and staff traveled to Costa Rica's northern zone to explore Arenal – a once highly active volcano that periodically rumbles to life – and the surrounding area, famous for its beauty and adventure opportunities. When students were asked about their favorite part, each answered differently, with highlight quotes including:
“We swam in the crater of an extinct volcano. [Volcan Chato] Who gets to do that?”
“The best part was hanging out with Tom.”
“The whitewater rafting was amazing, even though it is the dry season.”
Besides navigating mighty rapids and crater-lake swimming, students hiked to and swam in the 200-foot La Fortuna waterfall, handled snakes at a serpentarium, and enjoyed quality time with Tom! The students all returned positive and energized for the upcoming quarter.
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NSA students who have graduated the program but chosen to remain enrolled to complete high school have the opportunity to enroll in the Second Summit Program, which focuses on building real-life skills for a successful transition. Part of that development is the opportunity to learn and practice important organizational and travel skills on Second Summit’s international Aventuras.
This quarter, these senior students traveled to Belize and Guatemala to help plan our July all-school trip. Students booked transportation, accommodations, arranged service-learning opportunities – all while enjoying the history of Mayan sites and the beauty the Belizean coast.
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Students in their second quarter traveled to the Osa Peninsula to hike into the stunningly diverse Corcovado National Park. Each time NSA travels to the area, students return with stories about seeing tapir, monkeys, anteaters, and even crocodiles (from a safe distance, of course.)
This trip proved extraordinarily special in the realm of wildlife encounters. One student, fascinated with photography, was hiking in the back of the group with one of our EE staff. As they rounded a headland on the beach, the two spotted a mother puma with two cubs. This unique experience helped make the classes on forest succession and biological diversity that much more meaningful.
This trip proved extraordinarily special in the realm of wildlife encounters. One student, fascinated with photography, was hiking in the back of the group with one of our EE staff. As they rounded a headland on the beach, the two spotted a mother puma with two cubs. This unique experience helped make the classes on forest succession and biological diversity that much more meaningful.