Written by Lucia Daranyi, Apogee Assistant Director
Apogee Adventures is known for its incredible teen summer adventure programs that take students on adventure across Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States. Families often ask: What is the true impact of an Apogee summer? What makes Apogee Adventures stand out among the many teen summer camps available today? And how do students carry these experiences into their lives long after the trip ends?
These are the questions that guide our work year-round as we design meaningful, safe, and transformative summer programs for teens. At Apogee, we believe the best teen travel programs are about far more than the destinations—they are about growth, connection, and lasting confidence.
Experiencing Apogee as a Student myself
Having once been an Apogee student myself, I often reflect on what we sometimes call the “Apogee magic”—that natural growth of connection, confidence, and joy that unfolds over the course of a trip. Of course, this magic doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of thoughtfully designed itineraries, small group dynamics, and expertly led teen adventure travel experiences.
As a student, I was continually amazed by how quickly a group of strangers could become a close-knit community. I remember sitting around a campsite during my Alps Explorer trip in 2017, feeling completely at ease—fully myself—among people I had met only days earlier. That experience taught me something that has stayed with me into adulthood: the power of authenticity.
Maggie B. from Waban, MA, a three-time Apogee student, describes that shift well:
“Apogee friendships form so much faster than normal ones because we don’t have our phones. It forces us to just talk and talk.”
This is a defining element of the Apogee experience. Our screen-free summer camps for teens create space for real conversation, real connection, and real growth. Without the distractions of phones, students engage more deeply—with each other, with their surroundings, and with themselves.
Maggie and her group on Iceland Mountains and Coast in 2024
Returning as a Leader
Returning to Apogee Adventures as a leader offers a powerful perspective on what makes teen summer adventure programs so meaningful. Years after my own experience as a student, I felt the impact of an Apogee summer all over again—this time through the lens of leadership.
In 2023, while leading our Maine’s Downeast Explorer program, I saw firsthand the intentional, behind-the-scenes work that creates the experience students feel on our teen adventure travel programs. What once felt like effortless “magic” as a student revealed itself to be the result of thoughtful planning, strong leadership, and a deep commitment to building community.
Leading Maine’s Downeast Explorer in 2023
Growth That Evolves Over Time
There are countless reasons why teen adventure summer camps are worthwhile—travel, outdoor experiences, and new friendships among them. But if I had to choose just one, it would be this:
Apogee Adventures trips create lasting, life-shaping impact.
I felt it when I was 14, biking along the coast of Maine with Apogee. I saw it again years later in my students as a leader. And now, working behind the scenes, I watch it unfold each summer as students and staff grow into more confident, grounded, and authentic versions of themselves.
That is the true impact and gift of an Apogee summer.
Big hugs shared after a long exciting ride on Europe Coast to Coast