World Class Climbing Academy | Program
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PROGRAM

PROGRAM

2024-2025 Destinations

B.C., Chile, New Zealand, Scotland

Fall 2024

August 25, 2024 - December 14, 2024

  • Flag of Canada

    Q1: BC, Canada

  • Flag of Chile

    Q2: Chile

Spring 2025

January 19, 2025 - May 10, 2025

  • Flag_of_New_Zealand_(3-2).svg

    Q3: New Zealand

  • scotland flag

    Q4: Scotland

2023-2024 Destinations

International

Fall 2023

August 27, 2023 - December 9, 2023

  • Flag of Canada

    Q1: BC, Canada

  • European Union Flag

    Q2: France and Italy

Spring 2024

January 21, 2024 - May 11, 2024

  • Flag_of_New_Zealand_(3-2).svg

    Q3: New Zealand

  • Flag_of_Slovenia.svg

    Q4: Slovenia

2024 - 2025 Schedule

B.C., Chile, New Zealand, Scotland

Fall Semester 2024

August 25, 2024 - December 14, 2024

  • August 25

    Students and staff meet in Vancouver, BC

  • August 26

    Semester orientation

  • August 27 - October 5

    Quarter 1: Whistler B.C.

    • Whole quarter spent staying in Whistler, riding the trails and bike parks around Whistler; Whistler Bike Park, Enduro in Squamish, dirt jumps, Pemberton trails, etc.
  • October 5

    Students and staff depart for fall break

  • October 6 - 26

    Fall break

  • October 27

    Students and staff arrive in Santiago, Chile

  • October 28 – December 14

    Quarter 2: Chile

  • December 14

    Students and staff depart for winter break

Spring Semester 2025

January 19, 2025 - May 10, 2025

  • January 19

    Students and staff arrive in Queenstown, New Zealand

  • January 20

    Semester orientation

  • January 20 - March 7

    New Zealand: Queenstown. 

    • Whole quarter spent riding in and around Queenstown: Skyline bikepark, Gorge Road jumps, Ben Lomond mountain, Cardrona, Wanaka, etc. 
  • March 8

    Students and staff depart for spring break

  • March 9 - March 29

    Spring break

  • March 30

    Students and staff arrive in Scotland

  • March 31-May 9

    Quarter 4- Scotland

  • May 10

    Graduation

  • May 11

    Students and staff depart

2023 - 2024 Schedule

B.C., Italy, New Zealand, Slovenia

Fall Semester 2023

August 27, 2023 - December 16, 2023

  • August 27

    Students and staff meet in Vancouver, BC

  • August 28

    Semester orientation

  • August 28 - October 7

    Quarter 1: Whistler B.C.

    • Whole quarter spent staying in Whistler, riding the trails and bike parks around Whistler; Whistler Bike Park, Enduro in Squamish, dirt jumps, Pemberton trails, etc.
  • October 7

    Students and staff depart for fall break

  • October 8 - 28

    Fall break

  • October 29

    Students and staff arrive in Nice, France

  • October 30 – December 16 - France / Italy

  • December 16

    Students and staff depart for winter break

Spring Semester 2024

January 21, 2024 - May 5, 2024

  • January 21

    Students and staff arrive in Queenstown, New Zealand

  • January 22

    Semester orientation

  • January 21 - March 9

    New Zealand: Queenstown. 

    • Whole quarter spent riding in and around Queenstown: Skyline bikepark, Gorge Road jumps, Ben Lomond mountain, Cardrona, Wanaka, etc. 
  • March 9

    Students and staff depart for spring break

  • March 10 - March 30

    Spring break

  • March 31

    Students and staff arrive in Slovenia

  • March 31-May 10

    Quarter 4 - Slovenia

    March 31 -> April 14 - Kocevje

    April 14 -> April 28 - Maribor

    April 28 -> May 11 - Jamnica

  • May 11

    Graduation

  • May 12

    Students and staff depart

Past Destinations

Food and Lodging

Food

WCA MTB eats a variety of foods, dependent primarily on the current destination.  While abroad, the program will either cook or eat food prepared by restaurants or hired chefs. We eat Lomo Saltado in Peru, Asado in Chile, Baklava in Greece — wherever we are, eating is an extension of the cultural experience. In some destinations, students and staff rotate between cooking responsibilities. Students and staff help with shopping trips, cooking, and clean-up duty when preparing meals for the group.

World Class Academy caters to individual dietary needs and promotes healthy food choices. We understand that athletes need to eat well-rounded, nutritious meals while training. Meal planning, cooking, and eating well while on the go are a few of the many life lessons that students take home from a semester with World Class Academy.

Lodging

While traveling, WCA MTB looks for comfortable accommodations close to the trails. During our time abroad, accommodations usually include cabins, lodges, and hostels. When in the U.S., the program will usually stay at large rental houses, hostels, or campgrounds. Lodging varies depending on the destination.

Mentor Groups

Mentor Groups

Each student enrolled in World Class Academy will be assigned to a teacher who will act as a mentor throughout the semester. With their mentors, students are encouraged to reflect on their growth as athletes, students, and human beings. With their mentor group, students collaborate to provide meals for their peers, maintain living areas, and provide general support for each other.

Mentoring and the development of life skills happen on many levels at WCA MTB. Through these processes, students develop an understanding of themselves, their place in the community, and their capacity to continue growing and learning.

Throughout the semester, mentors send weekly updates to their mentees' parents. These updates lay the foundation for regular communication between parents, students, staff, and admin. Updates include specific details on progress in academics, athletics, and character building.

Supervision

World Class Academy often feels like a family, and students are with staff 24 hours a day. From morning until night, teachers guide students through daily activities and help them thrive while in the World Class environment. Students and parents should be aware that World Class has a zero-tolerance policy with respect to drug and alcohol use. Any student believed to be using or in possession of prohibited substances will be held to the stipulations of the Honor Contract, which each student signs before being admitted into the program.

Tuition

World Class Academy is committed to providing the highest level of excellence in the classroom, on the trail, and around the globe. We are a non-profit organization with high standards in academics, safety, service learning, athletics, and organization. While keeping our standards in these areas high, it is also our wish to provide affordable tuition. Families can choose to make a one-time payment or choose our payment plan option (contact the school for more details).

Single Semester Tuition: $24,650.00

Full-Year Tuition: $46,750.00

Tuition excludes airfare, gear shipment, personal equipment, and medical insurance.

Scholarships are available on a limited basis. Please contact WCA for more information about our scholarship program.

Airfare is not included in this price and will be an additional cost for each student. World Class Academy works with a travel agent who helps us coordinate the flights of our students and staff. Prices for flights depend on the date, departure city, and destination.

The cost of traveling domestically or internationally with luggage and athletic equipment is the responsibility of each student. This generally costs between $150-$200 depending on the destination and the airline. Please contact the airline you will be traveling with or reach out to the World Class Academy admin team with specific questions. 

Each student is expected to arrive with their own mountain bike gear + personal gear. A detailed gear list will be sent out upon acceptance.

Each student should consider bringing a small amount of personal spending money. We recommend that students bring between $100-$200 each quarter. This may be used for souvenirs or replacing any personal items. WCA recommends that each student brings a debit card that they may access throught the semester.

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