It has been a full week since most of us arrived here on Eleuthera and as students we are learning to get the hang of life at The Island School.

After a morning full of class and small group discussions, K1 and K2 had the opportunity to go on a tour of the different sustainable systems on campus. We toured the farm at the Island School, the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) and the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI). At the CSD, a particular project really caught my attention as we learned how cooking oil from cruise ships gets turned into the fuel used to power all the school’s vehicles. It’s amazing how it only takes 12 days to produce biodiesel from oil that would have otherwise gone to a landfill, and give it a second purpose.

K3 and K4 spent the day working towards their SCUBA certification. Despite being rained on mid-dive, everyone excelled in their first open water dives at the Saddle. Practicing skills to get comfortable underwater is a major component of SCUBA. One of the hardest of these skills is the full mask fill and clear. At 25 feet underwater, one has to fill their entire mask up with water and then blow out of their nose to get ride of all the water. Despite the slight sting of salt water in the corners of our eyes, everyone kept a positive attitude and encouraged each other through it. SCUBA is just one of the few ways we are strengthening our relationships with each other and building a strong community.

-Maddy and Marquis