Returning to the ideals of the ancient Greek Olympians, Westwood trains its students to master their bodies as well as their minds. As well as practicing for specific sports, students learn to develop their Core Athleticism – the speed, agility, and endurance to excel in everything they do both on and off the field of play. Off the beaten path, students will push their own limits in the Adventure Leadership Program for Schools (ALPS).
ALPS facilitates the development of well-rounded, highly engaged students who are prepared to operate as fully actualized individuals in both the urban world and the wilderness.
ALPS revolves around the idea that both the urban and the outdoor world are worthy of exploration, and that expeditions into these vastly different worlds are the perfect way to integrate a student’s sense of fun and adventure with the elements of scholarly inquiry. In service to these ideas, the ALPS program offers a broad array of urban and outdoor experiences including hiking, backpacking, SCUBA diving and rock climbing that:
- Develop technical skills
- Extend the academic classroom into the real world
- Foster collaborative decision making
- Develop individual leadership skills and styles.
- Challenge students to expand and strengthen their emotional, mental, and physical identities
- Provide opportunities for multiple certifications in SCUBA, first-aid, and other areas
Westwood’s ALPS program allows students to pursue interest within a number of organizations such as NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), scuba diving through PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors), First Aid & Life Guard training through the American Red Cross, First Aid and CPR through Emergency First Responder and AMGA Top Rope Certification (American Mountain Guides Association).
To learn more about the recent Westwood adventures, we invite you to read High School Coastal Trip and Middle School D.C. Trip.
Duke of Edinburgh
Westwood is a participant in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, also called the Young Americans’ Challenge, derived from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award established in 1956 in the United Kingdom. The Award currently operates in over 120 countries in the world under many different titles.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award provides opportunities for American Youth between the ages of 14-25 to enroll in self-challenging, educational and non-academic programs in Community Service, Practical and Social Skills, Adventurous Journey and Physical Recreation, all to achieve a balanced development of life skills.
Venturing
Westwood also offers these opportunities through Venturing. Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women who are 14 years of age, or 13 years of age and have completed the eighth grade, and under 21 years of age. Venturing’s purpose is to provide positive experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults.
