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Space to Create and Space 2 Explore

Starting in 2007, DCMS teacher Will Simmons has held a summer camp for kids from North Eleuthera in his native Harbour Island. The camp, called Space to Create, is a non profit summer day camp for the youth of Harbour Island, Eleuthera. It joined forces with The Cape Eleuthera Institute to initiate Space 2 Explore, a program based around marine ecology and conservation. This comprehensive youth development program aims to enhance the academic, artistic and character development of young people on Harbour Island.

Students this summer explored diverse marine habitats under the guidance of Cape Eleuthera Institute researcher Kristal Ambrose and DCMS teacher Carola Walker in partnership with divemaster Shawn Springer. Students’ eyes were opened as they learned to identify countless organisms in the habitats they explored and also grasped the importance of these threatened ecosystems. These activities were not only academically enriching but helped students to build character as they faced their fears and accomplished things they never thought possible. This learning experience is highly relevant as Harbour Island is experiencing the pressures of rapid development. It is important that the next generation understands the role of conservation in sustainable development.

Check out some photos from a snorkeling trip here. On Saturday there was a final presentation where the campers had the opportunity to share with the community everything they had learned during their time at camp.

Congratulations to Will and the rest of his staff on another successful summer! To learn more about Space to Create, visit the camp’s Facebook page.

Student Update, Uncategorized

Summer Term 2013: Student Update July 6, 2013

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Orientation Week continues with kayak and SCUBA!

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K4 prepares for their daylong kayak trip.

The kayak trip was a great experience for all Island School students.  We learned the basic kayak skills, such as what to do in a situation when the kayak tips over.  The current was both with and against us at different points during the trip.  We traveled from campus to Triangle Cut then through the Marina to Sunset Beach.  At Sunset Beach, we began a lesson about the moon phases and how the position of the moon affects the tides.  We enjoyed a short snorkel and swim at the beach.  For lunch, we ate awesome PB&J tortilla wraps with great GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) on the side.

After lunch, we got back in our kayaks and made our way to No Name Harbor, where we explorP7050840ed the mangroves while fighting the current which tried to push us to shore!  The wind began pushing us back to campus as we started our travel in our kayaks. Although we were tired and sore by the time we got back, it was a great day on the water.  We finished up our kayak day by washing the kayaks and lifting them back under the boat house and we were free to explore the Cape for exploration time!

In addition to kayaking on the surface of the water and exploring the island on vans on the South Eleuthera Road Trip (SERT) this week, we began to develop a sense of place for South Eleuthera through SCUBA diving!

“We are ok!” Student’s head out to dive on the Cobia.
“We are ok!” Student’s head out to dive on the Cobia.

We took our first breath underwater and plunged deeper and deeper into the ocean.  In order to be certified divers, most of us had to develop skills such as buddy breathing, buoyancy, and other basic skills.   In addition to these requirements for certification, we had a great time taking in our surroundings.  A couple of ways that we made the dives fun were break dancing in the water and doing handstands.  While underwater, we also had the opportunity to see some really cool marine life such as: sting rays, battle stars, and many colorful fish.

Students on Boys Dorm Beach for the 4th of July bonfire.
Students on Boys Dorm Beach for the 4th of July bonfire.

Even though our orientation week has been really busy, we are learning a lot about where we are and we even found time to unwind on the Fourth of July to celebrate America’s independence. We roasted marshmallows on the bonfire and we made s’mores (which for some of us was a first!) out on Boys Dorm Beach. We laughed and sang songs that reminded us of home. We realized how close we had become in only a few days!  We lit sparklers and hung out all together.  We are getting even more excited for the Bahamian Independence Day celebration tonight in Governor’s Harbour!

Thanks to Taylor, Tim, Sophie, and Sydney for this Student Update!
Thanks to Taylor, Tim, Sophie, and Sydney for this Student Update!

 

 

Student Update, Uncategorized

Summer Term Orientation Begins – A South Eleuthera Road Trip!

This summer, the Summer Term students will be writing blogs about their experience, but while they are busy in orientation, the summer term faculty will do their best to summarize the students’ daily life!

Hello from Eleuthera!

The students are quickly getting familiar with The Island School and all of the components of their Summer Term experience. This week, the students are busy orienting themselves with our kayak program, through a day-long kayak trip around the Cape, the SCUBA program, with three days of certification and training under the water, and our Down-Island program, with a daylong road trip around South Eleuthera.

Yesterday marked the first day of orientation and 11 students and three faculty headed north to Rock Sound for the term’s first South Eleuthera Road Trip – SERT – to experience the island aside from our campus. Later this summer, students will embark on a 4-day Down-Island journey, a vital part of The Island School experience. Through their trip up and down the island, students are introduced to the geography and culture of Eleuthera while understanding how much the those landscapes can teach the students about themselves and where they are. In addition, students will begin to understand the tourism industry on Eleuthera by visiting larger settlements to gain even more perspective of life on the island.

First stop on the SERT: the Banyan tree! Students had time to explore the area surrounding the Banyan tree before settling down for reflection, observation, and sketching what they saw. The group gathered to share ideas and drawings of the tree.At the Rock Sound Market nearby the Banyan tree, the SERT group searched the aisles for the most local and the more foreign foods they could find. After the 15-minute market hunt, they shared what they found and related their findings to the concept of local foods, waste, and the relationship between consuming food and the impact on the environment. For example, students were surprised that almost all the food on Eleuthera has to be shipped in from the United States. The students will Continue reading →

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Fall 2013 Communications Internship

The Cape Eleuthera Island School seeks an enthusiastic, motivated and driven individual to join its communications and marketing team in a volunteer role as Communications Intern. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated interest and/or education and experience in communications and marketing. This individual will work with all facets of the organization to promote our facilities and programs and share our work and ideologies with our alumni base, the scientific community, and the wider world. This is a 4-month internship at The Island School Campus, Eleuthera, Bahamas, reporting directly to the Director of Communications.

To read more information on the internship and how to apply, click here!

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Quest for Excellence NYC Award

The Island School is proud to announce that Kevin He is the recipient of our first Quest for Excellence NYC Award! Kevin distinguished himself as a straight A student who challenges himself by having taken 4 advanced Math Classes last year and winning a gold medal in a greater NYC area Math competition. Kevin tutors younger students in Math and co-founded a ping pong club. But what caught our eye most was Kevin’s response to the question, “If you could could live anywhere for 6 months, where would you visit and why?” Kevin offered, “I would fly to the Galapagos to release my adventurous self. While there, I would spy on sea turtles at night and explore the islands by day.” We are sure that Kevin will have an amazing adventure with us during our Island School Summer Term this year!

Award winner Kevin He, Island School Director of Admission, Sharon Jarboe, Quest for Excellence NYC Program Manager, Rachel Fishbein
Award winner Kevin He, Island School Director of Admission, Sharon Jarboe, Quest for Excellence NYC Program Manager, Rachel Fishbein

The Quest for Excellence NYC Award is in it’s first year and is run as a part of the QuestBridge organization. QuestBridge’s essential mission is “to connect America’s brightest low income students to America’s best universities and opportunities.” The Island Scholar is proud to partner with Quest for Excellence NYC in order to offer world class Summer enrichment to a deserving student. Other partners in this program include the Global Citizen Year Program (Gap Year), the Summer Journalism Program at Princeton University, the Great Books Program at Amherst, the Yale Young Global Scholars Program and the Center for Creative Youth at Wesleyan University.