Adirondack Adventure

We will partner with GuideADK for this exciting introduction to one of the region’s most beautiful areas: the Adirondacks. Home to 46 mountains over 4,000 ft. in elevation, students will explore the High Peaks Region on foot and in canoe. This trip is designed to introduce students to a variety of skills like: backpacking, camping, outdoor cooking and paddling. Additionally, the group will learn about the wilderness and local ecology of this area, which is the largest park in the lower 48 states. Students will spend four nights in the wilderness and spend the other three nights in lodging with amenities (showers, bathrooms, beds, etc.). Camping and paddling equipment will be provided, and no previous experience is required.

Sueños Service Learning Trip: Antigua, Guatemala

On this eight-day journey, we will travel to Guatemala to gain insight into the social challenges and efforts that contribute to the development of Guatemalan youth and local communities. We will interact with local artisans, weavers, families, farmers and community leaders. Antigua, Guatemala will be your headquarters for this unforgettable student adventure. Through careful exploration of the best preserved colonial cities in Central America and its picturesque volcano surroundings, we will learn all about Maya living culture, get experience with Spanish immersion and create an impact at Sueños.

French Canada : Quebec City & Montreal

We will head north to Quebec to explore the culture, lifestyle and complicated past of this dynamic corner of our continent. We will explore this francophone region to develop a better understanding of its diverse culture, practice our language skills and experience how the natural environment also plays a role in the French Canadian lifestyle. From old ports and villages to modern cafes and sugar shacks, we’ll experience firsthand what makes Quebec special and consider how communities grapple with questions of identity today.

Outdoor Education and Photography

Ricketts Glen, PA and Cape May, NJ

This trip combined outdoor education with photography. Working alongside a professional photographer, students spent three nights honing their outdoor photography skills in one of the most scenic State Parks, Ricketts Glen, featuring stunning geography and wildlife, including the Falls Trail in the Glens Natural Area which has a series of 22 free-flowing waterfalls, which offers a backdrop for any budding nature photographer. After a day back on campus, students traveled to Cape May, New Jersey, where they explored the Jersey Shore and its ecosystem while building on the photography skills that they had practiced in the Poconos.

Trip Chaperones: AFS Upper School Photography Faculty Donna Russo, AFS Upper School Math Faculty Wayne Kurtz, AFS Upper School Math Faculty Mary Anne Wassel

Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership 

Rockland, Maine 

The Hurricane Island experience provided students with learning opportunities around the intertidal environment, its sustainable infrastructure, terrestrial ecology, freshwater resources, and migratory birds, and then helped them formulate a field experiment around that topic. Students designed data collection forms and sampling protocols, synthesized and presented their data, and held a debrief of the scientific process—invaluable skills for those interested in pursuing field-research focused degrees in college. Students also had plenty of other fun on the island, participating in rock climbing, kayaking and other adventure programming! 

Trip Chaperones: AFS Assistant Director of Admissions Mary Kay Napoli, AFS Upper School Math Faculty Eugene Feeley, AFS Upper School Math Faculty Nate Bridge

Hurricane Island Information

Civil Rights Legacy Tour

Students were guided through some of the most significant historical sights, museums and parks related to the Civil Rights Movement, such as Kelly Ingram Park, the city of Selma and the Tuskeegee Airmen National Historic Site. Deeply rooted in Diversity, Equity, Justice and Inclusion, students affirmed and celebrated the experiences of those who fought and continue to advocate for racial injustices.

Trip Chaperones: AFS Middle School and Upper School Counselor Ebony Holloway, AFS Director of Libraries Toni Vahlsing

Costa Rica: Sea Turtle Ecology

San José, Costa Rica

“Study an endangered reptile with a 100-million-year history. Protect critical ecosystems. Walk beneath lush rainforest canopies and learn about the immense biodiversity of tropical flora and fauna. Exchange ideas about life, science, and our shared world with Costa Rican students.”

This is just a sampling of the experiences that students had on this amazing opportunity while on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast. 

Trip Chaperones: AFS Upper School Science Faculty Lisa Ammirati, AFS Upper School Language Faculty Brian Cassady

Costa Rica: Sea Turtle Ecology trip information from Ecology Project International