sami booster club

Starts With You

what makes sami special?

SAMI offers a complete outdoor education pathway which includes an Outdoor Education class for every incoming 9th grade student, an advanced trail class for upper classmen, a rock climbing class, and an annual backpacking trip in the Cascades with 25 students every June.

We are thankful to the Mountaineers Club and Edgeworks Tacoma for their help with gear, permits, supplies and transportation.

These programs are expensive to run, and cannot exist on public funding or partner support alone.

Please consider donating to or joining the SAMI Booster Club today, and be part of what makes SAMI, and our students, exceptional. All donations and dues go directly to the SAMI Outdoor Education Fund.

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I've been on the backpacking trip all 3 years. When I’m in college, or even telling my future kids the story – I can tell them how we crammed a year’s worth of bonding into 3 days.

Olav M, SAMI student
I went on the backpacking trip my freshman year, and it was so fun. My family used to have to drag me on hiking trips, but this trip totally helped me reconnect with the outdoors. I loved getting to know new people and playing card games by firelight was my favorite.

Avery O, SAMI student
The backpacking trip really encompassed the SAMI spirit. It was a looooong hike, but the campsite was so amazing and so worth it. You got to hang with friends in the woods, and make new ones. We played in the water at the crack of dawn, and played card games by headlamp at night. Such an amazing experience.

Joella E, SAMI student
I had never been backpacking overnight before and it was fun to have other students help teach me what I needed to do. Plus, seeing the fun side of our teachers was really cool.

Allias D, SAMI student
The mountains, the trees – wow! I had never truly been hiking before in my life. It was amazing to connect with the group nonstop for 3 days. I met lots of people I wouldn't normally connect with. We were without phones, disconnected, fully engaged with nature.

Ileah M, SAMI student
Simply an amazing experience not offered in any other schools. Who gets to go out in the middle of nature like that with classmates and teachers, and camp for 3 days?? It was such a great way to connect with people without phones.

Abigail N, SAMI student

sami booster club

Starts With You

what makes sami special?

I've been on the backpacking trip all 3 years. When I’m in college, or even telling my future kids the story – I can tell them how we crammed a year’s worth of bonding into 3 days.

I went on the backpacking trip my freshman year, and it was so fun. My family used to have to drag me on hiking trips, but this trip totally helped me reconnect with the outdoors. I loved getting to know new people and playing card games by firelight was my favorite.

I had never been backpacking overnight before and it was fun to have other students help teach me what I needed to do. Plus, seeing the fun side of our teachers was really cool.

The mountains, the trees – wow! I had never truly been hiking before in my life. It was amazing to connect with the group nonstop for 3 days. I met lots of people I wouldn't normally connect with. We were without phones, disconnected, fully engaged with nature.

Simply an amazing experience not offered in any other schools. Who gets to go out in the middle of nature like that with classmates and teachers, and camp for 3 days?? It was such a great way to connect with people without phones.