On April 18, we brought together educators, scientists, government officials, developers, resort operators, and stakeholders on Eleuthera to learn from past experiences and chart new territory for tourism products and sustainable development. Here are some of the highlights from the day-long symposium.
We wanted to congratulate the future students of The Island School on their recent acceptances. We can’t wait to see you in the 2013-14 academic year!
Congratulations to Dave Barra on completing his marathon swim from Lighthouse Point all the way to Powell Pointe yesterday, a feat Chris Maxey contends is a first for any human. Dave completed the swim under guidelines established by the Channel Swimming Association and his journey lasted just under 14 hours. This is not Dave’s first visit to Eleuthera and The Island School campus; previously he has come to give workshops on Total Immersion Swimming and is planning on hosting another workshop in December (so mark your calendars!).
Special thank you to all the IS and CEI staff who provided boat support along the way!
Through introductions from our friends at Nobles, we had the opportunity to visit an inspiring educational program. Kliptown Youth Program in South Africa is bringing hope to the next generation of young people growing up in one of the most poor Soweto neighborhoods in the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Issac gives Maxeys tour of library
Maxeys at lunch with students from ALA
The Island School is building a bridge to Africa through a partnership with African Leadership Academy (ALA). The Academy, located outside of Johannesburg South Africa, is a world-class, pan-African secondary institution that aims to educate and develop outstanding students into principled, ethical leaders for Africa.
Chris and Pam and daughters, Tyler and Tegan, visited ALA on Saturday, toured the campus and gave a presentation for students and faculty. ALA students played a major role in our Leadership in Education conference back in Spring 2011 and our first ALA student joined us this past summer from Ethiopia. There is a shared Island School-ALA mission that focuses on giving students space to solve real-world problems and learn how to be successful agents for positive change in the world.
We have to thank our friends at Noble and Greenough, Ben and Sarah Snyder, Ernie and Kim Parizeau and Michael Denning for making this introduction.
Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) partners with One Eleuthera and Out Island Eco Company to provide alternative disposable products to Styrofoam, on the Island of Eleuthera.
The Island School and CEI’s journey to becoming a zero-waste campus while extending the concepts of this model to our neighbors on the island of Eleuthera has taken patience, but we are now excited to announce we are one step farther.
This particular initiative began in 2010 as CEI outreach collaborated with the Deep Creek Homecoming Association at its annual homecoming festival “Conch Fest” using the tagline “da Creek gone green”. CEI worked diligently with the food vendors to source products that promoted sustainability and were a viable alternative to using Styrofoam. The venture was particularly challenging, as sourcing the right company to provide the products proved difficult. The import duty on Styrofoam-alternative products was 45%, which made using these replacing Styrofoam an unattractive and expensive option for the average resident. Through generous sponsorship CEI provided the products to the vendors, which drastically reduced the cost of going green.
Extensive research and communication with wholesalers of these products led CEI to connect with Out Island Eco Company (OIEC), formerly affiliated with BioShell Bahamas, a non-profit company located on the island of Abaco and led by Ms. Juliette Deal. As this partnership evolves, OIEC has successfully launched an educational and outreach model in Abaco and has worked diligently with the Bahamas Government to reduce import taxes on these ecologically friendlier items.
In 2012, One Eleuthera (OE) joined the cause and partnered with CEI and OIEC Continue reading
The Ocean Exploration Trust is offering a number of internship and job opportunities that may be of interest to Island School alumni or other friends of The Island School, Cape Eleuthera Institute, and Deep Creek Middle School. Please see the descriptions below or visit the Ocean Exploration Trust’s website for more information.
NAUTILUS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Applications are now being accepted!
The Nautilus Exploration Program is seeking undergraduate and graduate students and early career scientists for at-sea internships in 2013. See this webpage for details and application materials: http://www.oceanexplorationtrust.org/opportunities
For more information please contact the appropriate Nautilus representatives listed in the application.
DEADLINE: Feb 1, 2013
LEAD OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA ENGINEER
Applications are now being accepted!
The Ocean Exploration Trust is seeking an oceanographic data systems engineer to support the Nautilus Exploration Program.
See this webpage for details:
http://www.oceanexplorationtrust.org/opportunities
Position is open until filled.
OET EDUCATOR AT SEA and HONORS RESEARCH PROGRAM
Applications will be posted at the beginning of January. We are undergoing some restructuring in our Education Department and apologize for the delay. Please see this website for details, starting in January:
During his visit to The Island School last weekend at the Research Symposium, the minister of the environment showed his support for our commitment to renewable energy and the environment!
Last Saturday was a very big day for all of us. It was the day where all of the research and work that we had done in the past three months culminated to a big Research Symposium. During the Research Symposium, each research group gave presentations about 
their research, booths, and posters. This was a little different from the presentations we did during Parent’s Weekend because we were presenting all of our work to people who could look at our results and make change in the Bahamas, and in the world. The Bahamian Minister of Environment attended the symposium as well as Friends of the Environment, BREEF, and many other NGOs. To see these people listen to and think critically about our research made me appreciate and feel proud of all of the work we accomplished these past few months. Continue reading
Dear Proud Parents,
We circled up at noon; I was moved to tell your children in the more intimate moment of our small circle how proud I am of the good work that has been accomplished. Yesterday after the research presentations we gathered in Hallig House to listen to key note speakers share impressions. Eric Carey, Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust, is big in stature and huge in spirit and brutally honest; he was “blown away” by the work. Eric mentioned specifically the turtle project at Half Sound and the conch research as monumental and pioneering efforts that will encourage (he used the word force) the government to enact laws to protect and conserve these vital habitats and endangered species. As a boy growing up in Tarpum Bay he confirmed the story retold by the research team, ” when I was young we would go to Sandy Cay and load our boat with 100s of conch that sat dry at low tied and if you go back now you can not find a single conch.”
Next to speak, Mr. Sandy Mactaggart, Chancellor Emeritus University of Alberta. Sandy has dedicated his full and extremely successful life to save beautiful places; he realized that the work here by young scientists proved beyond a doubt that education as it continues to exist is tragically flawed. He then shared a story; I encourage you to read the link, http://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/introbook2.1/x874.html . Your children are producers of knowledge, they have stretched to ask and answer new questions and they are well tested and confident — watch out world!
Last to speak was the Honorable Kenred Dorsett, Minister of the Environment, Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Continue reading