An Overview of the LAS Alpine Institute

Being situated in the beautiful Alpine landscape of Switzerland has many perks for our students. Amongst these perks include fresh Alpine oxygen, picturesque views, and ample opportunities to explore these vistas through our outdoor pursuits program: the LAS Alpine Institute! The LAS Alpine Institute program provides high-quality outdoor education after school and on weekends. This program encourages students to embrace their incredible surroundings and promotes sustainability, responsible citizenship, climate action, and resilience. 

The LAS Alpine Institute program inspires students to break free from preconceptions and learn all they can from Leysin’s landscape, undergoing personal growth in the process. On LAS Alpine Institute trips, students build connections with the local environment while at the same time developing the physical and teamwork skills vital for personal development.

This education model encourages students to see themselves as connected to the natural world and enables LAS students to become instruments of change. This is why the Alpine Institute centers on both outdoor programs and environmental education. Students in these programs love being out in nature and, in turn, learn why they should care about it and take action to protect it.

At LAS, we offer a wide range of programs for students to get involved with! These include:

 

Weekend Alpine Club Trips

Trips are offered to our students every weekend at a variety of difficulty levels. These trips meet the needs of students who are new to the mountains and those ready to take their skills to the next level and aim to travel competently and independently in the Alps. These trips are designed to help students connect with the local environment through team building, resilience training, and problem-solving. We have already seen a lot of success with these trips, including a hiking trip up Dents du Midi, a challenging feat for our more ambitious hikers! Congratulations to the following students for embracing the challenge on the two-day Dents du Midi trip earlier this month:

• Paulina ‘24
• Drino ‘25
• Harunobu ‘25
• Lucas ‘25
• Sam ‘25
• William ‘25
• Isaiah ‘26
• Oliver ‘27 
• Sarah ‘27
   

The Duke of Edinburgh International Award

This prestigious qualification is recognized globally and can be highlighted on university applications and CVs. All three levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—are offered at LAS and provide a structure for those students who choose an additional level of challenge and commitment. This award not only includes outdoor pursuits but also requires students to complete service to the community and develop themselves outside the classroom in the areas of physical activity and skills. Last weekend four students successfully completed their Silver qualifying journey. Congratulations to:

• Joe ‘26
• Nika ‘26
• Patryk ‘26
• Samatha ‘26

This weekend, we have five students embarking on a trip to qualify them for the Silver Award. These courageous students are:

• Harunobu ‘25
• Antonio ‘26
• Isaiah ‘26
• Michael ‘26
• Oliver ‘27

You can learn more about the International Award here.

 

Eco-Schools

Eco-Schools is one of the most extensive global sustainable school programs. It starts in the classroom and expands to the community by engaging the next generation in action-based learning. At LAS, this program helps integrate sustainability, responsible citizenship, and climate action and aligns with the LAS mission statement. Our school eco-committee, in partnership with StuCo, is working towards becoming an Eco School this year, focusing on the theme of citizenship. Initiatives that are already in motion are student-developed public transportation guides in English, on-campus recycling and composting education, and the school garden. Initiatives to watch for include on-campus e-bike parking, continued collaboration with the school cafeteria, and more sustainable travel options. 

You can learn more about the Eco-Schools here.

 

Staff Professional Development and Passion Projects

Here at LAS, we combine in-house and off-site training to ensure our staff have the most up-to-date knowledge of best practices for safe and enriching outdoor instruction. These professional development sessions help to support our teachers who generously give their time to share their knowledge and passions with our students.