AAPLE’s mission is to offer a highly rigorous four-year academic pathway in a way that prepares students for top-tier college entrance while simultaneously providing sustained involvement in leadership and service based opportunities that mutually benefit students and the community. By exposing students to the highest academic standards, leadership and service opportunities, rich local culture, and the support of the cohort community environment, students become leaders who regenerate their experience across their lifetime both in our community and abroad. Founder and Executive Director, Erik Nielsen believes that providing students a rigorous strategic academic pathway, leadership curriculum and program, and impactful service opportunities students will attend prestigious four-year colleges and universities and then return to Santa Barbara to benefit our community as our doctors, city councilwomen, CEO’s, Executive Directors of our non-profit organizations, professors, and community volunteers.