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Last week, The Island School welcomed 22 teachers from around the nation for a firsthand look at our organization’s mission and philosophy and how experiential education can be harnessed in and outside of classrooms worldwide. They took the campus by storm, diving headfirst into our mind-body-spirit mentality by participating in morning exercises, thinking critically around the Harkness table, and sharing stories, ideals, and teaching strategies with one another under the stars. They took in the beautiful, crystal clear waters of Eleuthera through snorkeling trips, SCUBA diving, and kayaking; spent the afternoon learning and working alongside researchers at CEI; and explored the rest of the island on their very own Down Island Trip. The week was capped off by a group coffeehouse, which had people singing, dancing, and reading manuscripts.
In the end, all had a rewarding, insightful, and career-affirming experience on the Cape, with some remarking that, “it was the most inspirational conference I’ve ever been a part of.” We are excited to move forward building partnerships with these teachers and their schools and hope to see some of their students down here for the semester or a visiting program – so that we all can continue to effect change onward, upward, together.
Stay tuned for information regarding next year’s Teacher’s Conference!