Upper School Trips 2023-2024

TRIP IS FULL: Early SIgn-Up Deadline WAS October 4th

• On this trip, students will travel to Taiwan for cultural and language immersion. This trip's focus will provide students who have studied Chinese throughout high school with the opportunity to interact with native Chinese speakers and explore the culture of Taiwan. From visiting Taoyuan Municipal Nankan Senior High School, having language exchange sessions with students their own age and talking to local street vendors, to cooking lessons on Taiwanese pineapple shortcakes and soup dumplings, students will employ their academic skills in the Chinese language to explore a culture far different from that in Seattle. Other activities are geared toward cultural immersion and include attending the Lantern Festival, experiencing a tea ceremony, and exploring a traditional market. This trip will also include some sightseeing, such as visiting traditional temples, Taipei 101, National Traditional Center of Arts and the National Palace Museum. Upon returning home, students will not only have enhanced their language skills, but also have a deeper understanding of Chinese and Taiwanese culture.

• Current Upper School students enrolled in Chinese 5 and Chinese 6 

• 12-18 students

• Passport required (must be up to date).

Sign Up Forms:

1. Complete the 2023-2024 Trip Sign Up Form - Must be completed by Parents/Guardians

• The Backcountry Ski/Board Trip is held on Mt. Baker and participants will stay at the Mountaineers Baker Lodge and work with professional guides from Cascade Mountain Ascents. Trip attendees will participate in their AIARE Level 1 Avalanche course, the first step in Avalanche awareness, assessment, and rescue in January and follow up with our Backcountry experience over mid-winter break. Students will learn skills in outdoor leadership, decision making, team building, risk mitigation, and resource management and meet with our guides to discuss hazard assessment, snow conditions, weather, and tour plan each day. We will utilize the vast Backcountry terrain that the Baker Backcountry has to offer. No lifts for us, as we earn some of the best turns in North America on this trip as each day consists of 4,000+ ft of human-powered vertical gain in "tour mode" and an equal amount of descent in "ski mode." 

• 9th-12th grade students (ability dependent)

• 8-20 students

Trip Prerequisites:

Students will need to be interviewed by the trip leaders before acceptance to ensure preparedness. Students interested in signing up for this trip should consider themselves proficient skier or snowboarder fit enough to climb for several hours with enough left in the tank to safely ski/board a black diamond level run in varied conditions. There are no lifts in the backcountry; participants must carry their avalanche safety gear and manage their touring equipment, energy, and food intake. While helpful, students do not need “out of bounds” experience in the backcountry or prior exposure to avalanche safety or ski/board touring equipment to participate. SAAS will provide avalanche safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) and assist in coordinating any ski/splitboard touring equipment rentals. Students must participate in weekly lunch meetings leading up to each portion of the trip.

Sign Up Forms:

1. Complete the SAAS Backcountry Ski/Board Trip Application Survey - Student submitted
2. Complete the 2023-2024 Trip Sign Up Form - Must be completed by Parents/Guardians

• On this trip, students will be traveling to major areas of Japan. Japan is a country rooted deeply in traditional practices and thinking, allowing our students to experience something completely new. We will be visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Awaji Island, with each location giving the opportunity to get involved in the world of innovation, society, and ecology of Japan. Students will be tasked with prototyping solutions to the major challenges that Japan faces today. They will be guided through the design thinking process as we visit start-ups, maker’s spaces, and change-making organizations across the country.

• Current 9th - 12th grade students

• 15-17 students

Trip Prerequisites:

• 5 Pre-trip Meetings (Dates: TBD)
• Certain food allergies or restrictions can be challenging on this trip. Reach out to trip leaders with questions.
• Passport required (must be up to date).

Sign Up Forms:

1. Complete the Japan Trip: Student Application Form - Student submitted
2. Complete the 2023-2024 Trip Sign Up Form - Must be completed by Parents/Guardians

• This trip includes 24 hours of community service, adventure, sightseeing, and the opportunity to speak Spanish and learn about Costa Rican culture. We will travel to San José, and then on to the Osa Peninsula where students will work with in-water sea turtle monitoring and mangrove reforestation. Subsequent activities include learning to make chocolate, a birding tour, a permaculture workshop, a cultural exchange with a local high school, a hike to a waterfall, ziplining, and an outrigger canoe excursion with swimming at a secret beach.

• Current 9th-12th grade students enrolled in Spanish class.

• 14-21 students

Trip Prerequisites:

• Students currently enrolled in Spanish classes will be prioritized in the selection process.
• We will hold one parent/student meeting and approximately 3 lunchtime meetings with students prior to the trip.
• Passport required (must be up to date).

Sign Up Forms:

1. Complete the 2023-2024 Trip Sign Up Form - Must be completed by Parents/Guardians

• This trip will expose students to African American History and Culture through museum visits and cultural excursions in Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. Along the way, we will visit many Historically Black Colleges and Universities, developing an understanding of their history and importance while also helping students see them as exciting college choices. Once we arrive in Washington DC by plane, we will commute to all locations via charter bus until we reach the end of the trip in Atlanta, GA, at which point we will fly back to Seattle. Interested students should demonstrate an interest in African American history and culture and a desire to explore an HBCU as a college choice. We will have pre-trip meetings in the winter/spring and a code of conduct and expectations meeting that students will be required to attend. 

• Current 10th - 11th grade students

• 12 students

Sign Up Forms:

1. Complete the 2023-2024 Trip Sign Up Form - Must be completed by Parents/Guardians

• Embark on a captivating adventure to Vietnam, a land of timeless beauty and rich cultural heritage. This carefully curated trip promises an unforgettable experience, blending the country's natural wonders, historical treasures, and vibrant local flavors into a perfect tapestry of exploration. Starting in the south and making our way north, this student-centric trip will capture the essence of Vietnam, from its big cities (such as Ho Chi Mihn and Hanoi) to its serene countryside. In the spirit of the SAAS mission, one of the highlights of the trip will be a 3-day service project in the city of Hue. From a visit to a cooking school to riding bikes in small villages, seeing the lanterns of Hoi An to overnights on stilt homes and cruises on HaLong Bay, this immersive trip promises to be a sensory feast, offering a perfect blend of history, nature, and modernity.

• Current 10th - 11th grade students with priority given to current 11th graders.

• 12-14 students

Trip Prerequisites:

• Participants should be experienced on a bicycle.
• This trip includes full days of activities/walking. Be ready to be on your feet for long days.
• Certain food allergies or restrictions can be challenging on this trip. Reach out to trip leaders with questions.
• Passport required (must be up to date).

Sign Up Forms:

1. Complete the 2023-2024 Trip Sign Up Form - Must be completed by Parents/Guardians

• The group will travel on a picturesque 4-day ferry ride through Alaska's Inside Passage as they make their way to Skagway, Alaska. From there, the group will bus to Lake Laberge, just outside of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, Canada. You will camp in the pristine wilderness on the frozen shores of Lake Laberge with your classmates. Go ice fishing, dog sledding, and hang out around the campfire! Join the Seattle Academy tradition of the senior class trip; a time to celebrate, reflect, engage in fun activities, and spend time together.

• 12th grade students

• No limit, No experience is necessary.

• Passport required (must be up to date).

Sign Up Forms:

1. Complete the 2023-2024 Trip Sign Up Form - Must be completed by Parents/Guardians

• The New Orleans trip provides a meaningful service-learning experience through volunteer work, integrated cultural tourism, and daily reflective discussion. We spend the first week volunteering in the greater New Orleans area rebuilding homes and assisting community projects. Week two is spent volunteering in the rural communities along the Southwest Louisiana coast, restoring wetlands. We visit a variety of historical and cultural museums, the French Quarter, and kayak down the Mississippi River while eating delicious authentic southern food.

• Current 9th -11th grade students

• 12-20 Students 

Trip Prerequisites:

• The application above is to gain greater insight and understanding of the potential students on the New Orleans trip. We want to know what makes each unique and exciting. The primary goals of the application are to identify what the students can bring to the trip and to reveal what is essential about the student's world. The application is sent out via google forms to all students who sign up for the NOLA trip.
• Meeting #1 (January) Get to know you, trip student and leader bonding.
• Meeting #2 (April) Introduction to Louisiana, New Orleans, and Hurricane Katrina
• Meeting #3 (May) Gear list/student panel
• Meeting #4 (June) Logistics/Gear Check

Sign Up Forms:

1. Complete the New Orleans Trip Application 2024 - Student submitted
2. Complete the 2023-2024 Trip Sign Up Form - Must be completed by Parents/Guardians

• The group will travel by van to Smith Rock State Park, near Bend, Oregon. There, we will spend 5 days camping, climbing, and exploring the high desert area. Spend 4 days on the rock, challenging yourself physically and mentally. Open to both new and returning climbers. Enjoy building deep connections with your peers by learning to communicate and trust one another. Join us on this climbing adventure! No climbing experience necessary. 

• Current 8th -11th grade students

• 8-12 Students 

Sign Up Forms:

1. Complete the Smith Rock Climbing Trip 2024 Interest Form - Student submitted
2. Complete the 2023-2024 Trip Sign Up Form - Must be completed by Parents/Guardians