Semester
The Island School High School Semester Program
The Island School Semester is a single-semester 100-day Fall or Spring program designed for high school sophomores and juniors. Students from around the world join our community to learn in the beautiful natural environment of South Eleuthera, acquiring profound understandings of ecology, history, and culture through direct experience in the ecosystems and communities that surround us.
The Island School Stories
As you make new realizations about yourself and about our blue planet, you will gain a connection with the land of The Bahamas and the ocean that surrounds it.
Learn Outside the Walls of the Classroom
Teaching students about their environment, in their environment, is what The Island School is all about. All disciplines emphasize connection to place by making you an active participant in the learning process. As you study and practice the skills of primary research alongside our educators, scientists, engineers, and students, you’ll connect intimately with your environment, as you do real work to solve real-world problems.
Learn more about The Island School’s educational philosophy.
Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholars (BESS)
Are you from The Bahamas and interested in marine biology, sustainability, and a unique learning experience? The BESS program is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for graduating high school students in The Bahamas who have a keen interest in the environment, and who want to learn more as they transition from high school to university studies.
Learn more about the BESS program.
An Outside, and Outside the Box, Curriculum
While learning and researching outdoors, students study one topic through the lens of another. Our curriculum is interdisciplinary, meaning that there are no clear lines that divide or separate classes from one another. This cross-curricular model challenges students to think outside the box and practice using their newly obtained skill sets in real-life situations.
Semester students complete a course of study in seven classes, including Applied Mathematics, Applied Scientific Research, Histories of the Bahamas, Island School Seminar, Land and Environmental Art, Literature and Writing, and Marine Ecology. Students also participate in regular community engagement with our fellow schools and neighboring community members.
Learn more about our Semester curriculum.
Student Research Projects
Students contribute to professional research projects, gaining experience in research design and data analysis, and communicating their findings in written and oral form.
Learn more about some of our students’ exciting research below.
What is the South Eleutheran Perception of Climate Change?
Libby Cutler, Sami Goldman, Kali McDonnell, Becca Moll, Tyler Reid, Emma Serralles, Aaniyah Thomas-Odom
Advisors: Marjahn Finlayson, Brian Baker, Zoë Brown
Nuggets of Hope:
Using Coral Microfragments to Determine Best
Practice Reef-Rebuilding Techniques
Katelyn Cambridge, Sophie Cappello, Jack Kenney, Henry Kuck, Haya Firas, Austin Anderson Advisors: Valeria Pizarro, Lily Haines
Interns: Hannah Lochan, Eliza Thomas
Food Security: Being Vocal About Eating Local
Zach Alin-Hvidsten, Jane Goodrich, Cam Guttell, Alex Halaby, Max Mallett, Mishara Nozea
Advisors: Katlin Tilly, Grainne Burrows
Effects of Climate Change on the Black Land Crab (Gecarcinus ruricola)
Trey Chometa, McKenna Dixon, Ayodeji Fayemi, Molly Fredrickson, Nixie Herlick, Benjamin LaRhette, Finley Peck
Advisors: William F. Bigelow, Sammy Dill, Cameron Raguse
Caribbean Spiny Lobster: Confronting the Challenges of Developing a Sustainable Aquaculture Industry in The Bahamas
Allie Keefe, Brennan McVey, Lars Matson, Lily Goren, Mica McGinley-Smith, Ramsey Huggins, Viive Godtfredsen, Zach Atlas
Advisors: Katlin TiMichael Bowleg Jr., Gustav Wellin, Dr. Nick Higgs
Junk Food: The Role of Discards from the Spiny Lobster Fishery in Sustaining Marine Scavengers
Stacy Pinder Jr., Owen DiNicola, Devon Tyrie, Fuller Clement, Lucy Pike, Grey Jones, Tyler Walker
Advisors: Nick Higgs, Alex Smith
Cetacean Diversity and Distribution in the Exuma Sound
Heather Brockbank, Jack Dolan, Emma Holloway, Kate Kechriotis, Hallie Komessar, Ava McCormick, Charles Silver
Advisors: Eric Schneider, Natalie Hodges, Taylor Derico
Structure in the Pelagic Ecosystem
Asher Brownstein, Riley Cannady, Tess Frazer, Antonia Gomez, Samuel Gryska, Kiele Mader, Charlie Mottur, Audrey Wallner
Advisors: Eric Schneider, Anita Wray, Natasha Hinojosa
Coastal Landscaping: Building Resilience Using Native Plants and Permaculture
Jonas Kra-Caskey, David Shaw, Jem King, Field Ogilvy, Skye Karsh, Addie Zucker, Sophonie Blaise
Advisors: Bronwyn Esterhuizen, Dorlan Curtis
Assessing Juvenile Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Relative Abundance and Growth Rates in South Eleuthera, Bahamas
Caroline Madaio, Eliza Shields, Ivan Tripp, Martha Schuessler, Faye Burke, Mimi Goodwin
Advisors: Liberty Boyd, Erin Parker
Translocating Long-spined Sea Urchins to Reduce Macroalgae on Coral Reefs
Abby Rolle, Juliet Morse, Keeley Brooks, Nico Simons, Norah Van Vranken
Advisors: Casey Harris, Kennedy Wall
