Summer is slowly fading, and the leaves in Brunswick will soon begin to change. As the weather shifts, the team here at Apogee HQ is feeling a bit nostalgic for the incredible season we’ve just wrapped up. In celebration of all the breathtaking views, miles conquered, and friendships formed, we’re excited to highlight our 2025 Summer Stats! Read on for our summer stats, information on our Early Bird Discount, and our inaugural Apogee Photo Contest!
Also, if your Apogee Alum has done something cool or exciting recently (and we are sure that you have!), please send a blurb and photo to lucia@apogeeadventures.com. We love hearing from you!
Apogee 2025 By The Numbers
Our summer staff at the beginning of our 2025 season
Our Apogee family continues to grow, evolve, and deepen with each passing season. This year, we were thrilled to have 42 summer staff members. 42 smiling faces who shared in countless rounds of dance games, evenings filled with camp-cooked meals, and unforgettable moments that we hope will be cherished for a lifetime. They brought boundless energy, endless creativity, and unwavering support to every trip, and we are so grateful for each of them.
But the heart of Apogee doesn’t stop there! Alongside our incredible leaders, we welcomed students from 29 states across the U.S. and 5 countries around the globe! These students built friendships while exploring 12 different countries throughout the summer, creating long-lasting memories over “quakered” meals and evening games!
Students on VM this summer after crossing into Quebec on their bikes (left) and students jumping for joy on our NWMC trip this summer (right).
Our biking crews collectively pedaled more than 30,000 miles, passing through countless towns, states, and even over country borders, all while forging friendships and creating memories. While it’s impossible to count the specific number of times students called out “pothole,” “going,” or “slowing and stopping,” we’re sure that’d be an impressive statistic, too.
Our hikers trekked over 20,000 miles, taking in stunning views across the U.S., Europe, and Costa Rica. According to our calculations that’s over 40 million steps! From sunrises over mountain ridges to hiking through rainforests, every step was a new adventure. Whether they were summiting peaks or navigating trails, our hikers were fueled by determination, friendship, and the beauty of the world around them.
DEX students looking out at Katahdin
On our service trips, our crews dedicated over 1,500 hours to hands-on service, leaving a meaningful and lasting impact on the communities they worked with. These projects ranged from environmental conservation to community building, and our students truly made a difference in the lives of those they helped.
Back in Maine, our scholars wrote 35 incredible college essays, totaling over 21,000 words! These essays reflect their unique voices, passions, and ambitions. We are proud of their hard work, dedication, and the personal growth they experienced through this process.
As we reflect on this summer’s incredible accomplishments, we are already looking ahead to next year. With just 296 days until we do it all over again, we are filled with excitement, gratitude, and anticipation. We can’t wait to reunite with old friends and meet new faces. Here’s to another unforgettable summer at Apogee!
Students on MCCE during a workshop (left). Students at the beach on CSVI (right)
Apogee “Apogram” Photo Contest
We’re excited to announce the Fall Apogee Instagram Photo Contest! Show off your best Apo-blog–worthy shots for a chance to win some epic Apogee swag. To enter, DM us your photo to @apogee.adventures along with the location where the photo was taken and the name of the person who took the photo. This contest is open to both leaders and students!
Our office will vote on the winners after the contest closes on October 1st and the top photos will be featured on our Instagram page. We can’t wait to see your breathtaking landscapes, fun moments with Apo friends, and those mouthwatering backcountry meal creations!
Office Happenings
An Apogee Wedding! Claudia & Connor Chess
Many of us Apogee office-dwellers recently gathered to celebrate the marriage of former Associate Director Claudia Chess (née Bueermann) and former Apogee Leader Connor Chess (which they graciously scheduled after the summer was over so we could all attend)!
Claudia and Connor first met at Apogee Leader Training in 2021, during Claudia’s first summer in our office. From 2021 to 2024, Claudia brought her incredible energy and dedication to our office team, organizing logistics for several of our trips, coordinating trip leader training, and being the single friendliest person to talk to on the phone (in the opinion of many Apogee families). Connor began leading trips for Apogee in 2017 and went on to lead for five spectacular summers, cementing his status as an Apogee Leader Legend.
We couldn’t be more thrilled for these two wonderful people who found each other through Apogee. Please join us in celebrating and congratulating this amazing couple!
Claudia & Connor shortly after being pronounced husband and wife (left). Apogee Office staff past and present (and their spouses) celebrating Claudia and Connor (right). Note Associate Director Miles’s sweet sunglasses.
Early Bird Discount – Ends Sunday, 9/14!
Don’t miss out – our Early Bird Discount is still flying! Save $300 on your 2026 trip through September 14th. Click here to read more about the limited-time-offer and enroll today! As always, reach out to us at any time if you have questions about which trip is right for your Apogee student!
