Two weeks, 19 teens, four Quest leaders and an open road (and trail and river). This was the recipe for our Sierra Slam and Magical Mystery Tour Quests, which returned last week from some epic adventures. Check them out below:

Sierra Slam Quest

Overview

Quest Leaders Ari Ziegler and Chris Santomero led 12 7th and 8th graders on a gorgeous two-week adventure in the Sierra, exploring Yosemite, Mammoth, Lee Vining, Mono Lake, Tahoe and the American River.

Team-Bonding

These “Slam” Questers really came together as a solid, bonded and supportive group. One morning, Ari and Chris woke up to see all of the teens packing up camp and making breakfast together, working seamlessly as a unit. Amazing!

Quester Quotes

How many days do we have left?

Five.

YES!!!

Quest Leader Inspiration

On why Ari wanted to be a Quest Leader:

Adventure! I love being able to facilitate an experience that teens don’t usually get to have.

Magical Mystery Tour (MMT) Quest

Overview

Quest Leaders Rose Benjamin and Mark Dwyer led seven 9th and 10th graders on an adventure of backpacking, white water rafting and sea kayaking, exploring breath-taking spots like Calaveras Big Trees and Glacier Point. The twist? Each day and destination was a total surprise!

Highlight

The backpacking trip during MMT really brought the Questers together, with no distractions from the outside world, allowing the group to be totally present with each other.

Quest Leader Reflection

Quests are an amazing time to build strong relationships with one group of kids and to foster an environment for growth and curiosity. – Rose Benjamin

Enjoy some photos from both of these incredible Quests below, as well as shots from Session III!

P.S. A Taste of Quest is our six-day program for 7th and 8th graders – here’s our post from earlier in the summer.