Last summer, the African Leadership Academy (ALA) sent a student to The Island School Summer Term, Jean Fernando. ALA is a member of our City Bride Program, which connects inner city schools to The Island School and gives them the chance to step out into a whole new world. City Bridge was born out of The Island School’s dedication to expanding our program’s reach and making it available to anyone who wants to apply. Our partnership with the African Leadership Academy is particularly special because it is our first City Bridge connection outside of the US or Bahamas.
We recently received an update from Jean who is so inspired by his learnings and experiences at The Island School, that collaborated with four ALA peers to create a fully functioning organic farm that produces vegetables for the community. Check out the video on their project:
Despite living only 2 hours away from each other back home in Massachusetts, it took Liza Morse (F’09) and Maggie Schneider (F’09) four years and thousands of miles away from home to finally reunite for the first time since their Island School semester. Through Facebook, they realized that they both were spending their fall semester abroad in South Africa and arranged to meet up at a farmers market in Cape Town!
Have you reunited with any fellow Island Schoolers lately? If so, we want to know! Email alumni@islandschool.org with any photos or stories!
The Island School has many connections with Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, MA. One of their graduates, Emma Alexander, now is in her second year of teaching histories at IS. CRLS marine biology teacher, Paul McGuinness, attended the annual Island School Teacher Conference in 2004 and is responsible for connecting dozens of students to The Island School. Paul also guides CRLS’s Marine Conservation Club. Inspired by their experiences at The Island School, alumnae Tessa Tracy (F’11) and Danielle Heims-Waldron (Su’13) started the Marine Conservation Club, which has been so successful since its inception a few years ago, hosting numerous fundraisers and events in an effort to raise money for the North Atlantic Right Whales who are dangerously close to reaching distinction. Their hard work was rewarded by the New England Aquarium when they received the 2013 Ocean Stewardship Award. You can read more about their efforts, and watch a video on North Atlantic Right Whales in our alumni spotlight on Tessa Tracy here.
We always love to hear about how The Island School has helped clear a life path for our alumni. Continue reading →
Fall 2006 alumna, Hanna Koch recently launched a new business venture called Philanshopit, an online storefront committed to selling products from partners who “have a clear social impact statement in their mission.” This socially responsible idea was initially thought up by Hanna’s co-founder, Aubrey Cox, during their time at College of Charleston. After graduation, Aubrey pursued a career in international development, knowing that one day she would eventually bring the idea of Philanshopit to life. Aubrey shared her vision with Hanna a few months ago and it took off from there. With Hanna’s background in communications and Aubrey’s in business, it was a perfect match.
The two joined forces to create a business plan and bring to fruition what is now Philanshopit. The site launched only 3 months later in November and they have new sustainable and philanthropic partners joining Philanshopit everyday. Hanna attributes The Island School to helping cultivate her interest in environmental issues and international development that led to this project. You can read more about their story here. If you are looking to knock some friends or family off your Christmas shopping list, Philanshopit is a great place to start.
Congratulations, Hanna on the launch and good luck in the future!
Chris Maxey visited Greens Farms Academy this morning and met up with the 5 Island School alumni who attend the Westport, CT school. During his visit, Maxey challenged the IS alumni to participate in a fundraising effort to raise $500. If they achieve that goal, The Island School will match them $500, which is enough money to purchase a solar suitcase from We Care Solar. Together, the IS alumni at GFA will assemble the suitcase and send it to a hospital in an area of need in Africa. To learn more about We Care Solar and the challenge, click here.
Ivy Wappler (S’13), Ryan Schendel (F’12), Chris Maxey, Cole Vanacore (S’13), Rachel Cohen (S’12), Kaitlin Ball (F’12)
Hey Alumni! For the week of November 3rd-9th the Fall 2013 Island School students have a challenge for you! If 48 alumni or more donate to the CONCHtribution campaign The Island School faculty have to do dish crew for one day. Any size donation counts!
Shout out to Noelle Anderson (S’13) for her incredibly creative Halloween costume. She’s a conch shell! Thanks for sharing, Noelle! Did you wear an Island School-inspired Halloween costume this year? Send us your photos to alumni@islandschool.org
What a whirlwind week it has been! On Tuesday morning, we left Burlington, VT and headed to Middlebury, VT. We met with prospective students at Middlebury Union High School in the morning where some of our recent alumni (Emily Robinson, F’12; Katie Holmes, F’12) had recruited a bunch of prospective Island School students. That evening, the Robinson family hosted an admissions reception at their beautiful, cozy home just outside of Middlebury in Weybridge, VT. We were happy to meet incoming Island School student and her family, Faith Isham, as well as catch up with some alumni!
On Wednesday morning it was back in the car and hitting the road! The team split up when we reached Hanover, NH. Cam and Taylor set up a table for interested students at Hanover High School, thanks to Elizabeth Keene in guidance, while Sharon drove to Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, NH. At Hanover, we were thankful for our alumni Sam Hastings (F’12) and Abby Smith (Su’13) for sharing their experiences at The Island School with their interested peers. Many friends of current student, Elsa Davis (F’13) also stopped by our table to find out more about The Island School.While in Hanover, we had the opportunity to check in all of our IS alumni at Dartmouth over lunch.
\Mackenzie Carlson (Su’11), Ben Martin-Katz (S’10), Caroline Vanacore (S’11), Gigi Anderson (S’11)
Meanwhile, at KUA, Sharon had a great visit all organized by recent Teacher Conference alumni Eric Russman and Erin Mellow. She also got to meet Tristan Wakeman who will be coming down to IS in Spring 2014, and caught up with Spring 2006 alumna and KUA teacher, Brit Hastings. From Hanover, we had a good 3-hour drive up to Portland, ME where we would stay for the remainder of our trip.
On Thursday morning, we had an appointment at Freeport High School where we met with a number of interested students. A special thanks to Dana Clark in guidance who supports our program and is welcoming us back on 11/12 for her Semester Abroad/Gap/Summer opportunities fair! The rest of the day was filled with visiting IS alumni at colleges in Maine. We had lunch with our Bowdoin alumni in Brunswick and dinner with our Bates alumni in Lewiston.
Christiana Whitcomb (S’09), Hallie Schaeffer (S’10), Julia Rew (F’10), Mik Cooper (F’07)
Island School parent alumna, Gigi Goldman (Danny Goldman, S’13) is connected with Laura Satchel who has been nominated as one of CNN’s Heros of the Year 2013. She is doing some amazing work in an effort to lower maternal mortality in state hospitals in Africa. During her time there in 2008, she witnessed deplorable conditions in state facilities including sporadic electricity that impaired maternity and surgical care. Without a reliable source of electricity, nighttime deliveries were attended in near darkness, cesarean sections were cancelled or conducted by flashlight, and critically ill patients waited hours or days for life-saving procedures.
Laura told her husband, Hal Aronson, a solar energy educator, about the rough conditions of the hospitals and her desire to make it better. Hal created a suitcase-sized portable solar panel that can be used as an operating room light or a source of electricity to charge headlamps and walkie-talkies while they await the larger solar installation. If you would like to vote for Laura Satchel as the 2013 CNN Hero of the Year, vote here!
The organization creating and distributing these portable, life-saving suitcases is called We Care Solar. They have received so many requests from people wanting to contribute to the cause so they have created a way for individuals to get involved. The cost of one of the Solar Suitcases is $1000. When you send in the $1000, We Care Solar mails you the parts included in a kit, you assemble the suitcase, and then send it directly to a hospital in need.
The Lawrenceville School Island School Club is in the process of raising $500 to go towards purchasing a Solar Suitcase. If they raise that money, The Island School will match them the remaining $500 so the club can get a kit to assemble together. Be sure to check back to the blog for updates on fundraising and Solar Suitcase assembly! If you are interested in this challenge or getting more information about We Care Solar, email alumni@islandschool.org.
