Outdoor Program
Vision and Mission
The Summit Academy Outdoor Program exists to support the greater mission of the school: to partner with parents in forming their sons and daughters in Christian virtue so that they become mature, responsible young adults equipped and free for their mission in life to live out a fruitful vocation. To that end, the Outdoor Program provides a dynamic and integral learning experience beyond the classroom that seeks to cultivate virtue, develop leadership, and help shape the whole person.
Rooted in the beauty of creation, students witness the Creator reflected vividly in the natural world – not as mere observers, but as members and stewards of His creation. Each trip provides opportunities for leisure and play through a variety of outdoor activities. Exposure to a wide range of outdoor activities and environments draws out different dimensions of student growth; hiking builds endurance, canoeing fosters teamwork, rock climbing calls for courage and trust, and rafting demands quick thinking and problem-solving under pressure, to name a few.
Living in community outdoors, students strengthen relationships in a unique way through shared experiences, communal meals, and the rhythm of daily life together in the outdoors. Retreats also create intentional time for silence, giving students an opportunity to rest and reflect. As Pope St. John Paul the Great said:
“In this oasis of quiet, before the wonderful spectacle of nature, one easily experiences how profitable silence is, a good that today is ever more rare… In reality, only in silence does man succeed in hearing in the depth of his conscience the voice of God, which really makes him free.” – Pope St. John Paul II
Learning as an Adventure
At The Summit Academy, we seek to foster in our students a love of learning – one that extends beyond academic settings and enriches every stage of their lives. To truly be a lifelong learner, one must approach the learning process with enthusiasm, venture into the darkness of the unknown, explore different perspectives, risk being wrong, and cultivate a mindset that sees challenges as opportunities for development; in other words, being a lifelong learner means embracing learning as an adventure. Outdoor adventure programs are a powerful tool to prepare students to become life-long learners in whatever environment they find themselves in. Receiving learning as an adventure equips students to embrace challenges in life with a sense of hopefulness and courage. As Pope St. John Paul the Great observed:
“The aesthetic value of creation cannot be overlooked. Our very contact with nature has a deep restorative power; contemplation of its magnificence imparts peace and serenity. The Bible speaks again and again of the goodness and beauty of creation, which is called to glorify God.” – Pope St. John Paul II
