Calvert Visits The Island School and the Cape Eleuthera Institute

THE ISLAND SCHOOL AND THE CAPE ELEUTHERA INSTITUTE

October’s trip to Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI), Each day, students were involved in experiential learning. a research and education center focused on They participated in laboratory and field research while forging relationships between individuals and their learning about critical issues affecting the oceans. Group environment, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience activities included aiding researchers as they gathered for Calvert Seventh and Eighth Graders. Students who were interested in exploring sustainability and marine ecology were invited to apply for the experiential learning trip. CEI shares a campus with The Island School, a semester abroad program for data on endangered green sea turtles, snorkeling around coral reefs, identifying fish, and assisting with harvesting aquaponic lettuce which was then served at meals. Calvert students also connected with local Bahamian students at Deep Creek Middle School where they shared life experiences and participated in swim lessons. Additionally, they secondary students which focuses on the study of learned about the history and tourism industry during marine conservation. CEI and a two-day trip to historical sites. The Island School are located on Eleuthera, a thin, 110-mileFor the teachers, learning, thinklong island in the Bahamas “It is important for the ing, and practicing mindfulness archipelago. students to recognize around sustainability begins at an early age. “It is important for the In order to maintain a sustainable environment on campus, sustainability early on students to recognize sustainability early on so that they can impact nearly all of their energy is derived from wind and solar so that they canimpact their generation and generations to come,” says Brian Mascuch, power. The water on campus is collected from rainfall, and comtheir generation and Fifth Grade teacher. “Students recognize how much they use and munity members who live and generations to come.” can be a voice to others.” work on the grounds make conscious choices that impact the Students returned to Calvert environment. For example, all enthusiastic about sharing their students and faculty were committed to conserving water amazing experiences and the knowledge they had acquired by taking shorter showers, using water bottles as opposed during their informative week. They were able to witness to plastic cups, and being diligent about saving electrichow their actions affect the world. Eric Cowell, Middle ity. Mary Alice Lears, Middle School physical education School science and robotics teacher, emphasized the sigteacher and one of the chaperones on the trip, observed nificance of the trip, “Students left with a greater sense of the students’ willingness to partake in living a sustainable purpose around sustainability. As a society, we are facing lifestyle while on The Island School campus. Mrs. Lears increasingly complex global challenges; mindfulness will not noted, “Everyone came together as one happy family to only change how our students think about the social and learn about how we can limit our use of resources.” environmental issues, but it will also contribute to shaping a more sustainable world for years to come.”