Educational Philosophy
Learning About — and From — the Environment
At The Island School, our unique island environment serves as our classroom and informs our educational model. We are an ecosystem of education-based programs operating at the forefront of educational reform and experiential learning, aligned around a common mission of Leadership Effecting Change.
Our School serves a diverse group of Bahamian and international students. Through holistic learning experiences designed to challenge students intellectually, emotionally and physically, we develop leaders who inspire change locally and globally. Each student’s learning journey is distinct, but all programs are enriched by projects and real work done collaboratively across the organization. Our programs are designed to connect students intimately with their environment through on-going work in sustainable development and environmental stewardship in South Eleuthera.
We aim to reimagine what education is for, and redesign how education can be delivered. Our educators, scientists, engineers, staff and students work and learn shoulder-to-shoulder on a campus powered by renewable energy and innovative practices on how to live well in a place, and we share the belief that students should be generators of knowledge, not just consumers of it. There is no such thing as an academic exercise, as the work has real-world value beyond the educational experience. Our curricula are designed to foster critical thinking, curiosity, and communication, and students are actively engaged in the development and assessment of their learning.
The Island School Stories
It takes courage, commitment, and a sense of adventure to jump off the typical high school track. When you attend The Island School, you demonstrate that you are willing to think and act differently than many of your peers. This is a place where you will form connections to colleagues, gain confidence, confront unknowns, push yourself beyond your expectations and lead.
I appreciate the growth that I’ve made at The Island School’s Deep Creek Middle School. Though lessons taught on the Pythagorean theorem were important, I doubt they will ever be as important as lessons on the value of possessing an open mindset. This is one of the many things I will sincerely treasure despite my departure from DCMS.
