The Island School 2024 How do we live well in a place?

“At The Island School, we are committed to providing a progressive and dynamic environment for visiting groups and students of all ages to engage in experiential learning. Through our visiting programs or short courses, we instill within group members a sense of place and leadership that enables them to make meaningful changes in their own communities. Implementing primary research, working with sustainable systems, learning about our island habitat, and incorporating outreach with the local community makes our Visiting Programs a transformative experience for all participants.” - The Island School

We left NHS campus at 2am sharp and drove to Logan airport. Our flight departed Boston @ 6am and we safely arrived in Nassau. We had a long layover here but the airport had a nice deck (featured above) and our group had some bonding time together. They played several games of "Manhunt" while we waited for our next flight.
A smaller 50-60 person plane delivered us to Eleuthera Island, with some breathtaking views along the way. It started to sprinkle at the airport and then it began to downpour on our way to The Island School. Our fearless leader, Bronte, said she has never seen rain like that before while she's been working at The Island School. Once my phone dries out there will be more updates on the way...
The calm after the storm... Everything got soaked but we're here and we're happy! After dinner, we all dried ourselves off the best we could, went over some guidelines for the week, and went to bed early to recharge.
We toured The Island School to get a sense of the campus and heard from several semester students about their ongoing research projects. Pictured is a group of high school students attending The Island School for the spring semester explaining how to catch sharks, tag them, and collect research data.
Aquaponics! Tilapia fish are grown here, their waste gets mixed into the water in the tanks, this water goes into the garden to fertilize vegetables that are used in the dining hall. The fish are also used for tacos!
This little cove serves a couple purposes. It can be a water polo court, or, for today's sake, it can be a swim test site! Let's see if everyone can swim and float!
Huskies embark and mentally prepare for the swim test. All passed!
They can all swim! Next, let's see if they can ride bikes. (C. Clancy's fit helps symbolize the international connections we're making.)
Some wobbles here and there, but they can all ride bikes!
Thumbs up if you like sharks!
They're spooky, they're majestic, they're sharks!
Brady swings from a tree with glee as his dear friends cheer him on. These guys are all about support and encouragement. Fun fact: this location used to be the 4th hole of a golf course in the 70s, but today it was our 1st snorkel site.
7am team building + Island School tour + swim test + research projects + abandoned resort hike + snorkeling + sharks = a well-deserved snack and ice cream break at the local marina store
The Island School girls enjoying the sunset at dinner.
NHS students have a chance to mix and mingle with The Island School semester students during meal times and eat outside. Taco Tuesday!
Day 3: Bright and early start, packing the bus at 6:45am. Today is our DIT, Down Island Trip.
First Stop: Breakfast Bagels at the Deep Hole. Kind of like a bagel, the Deep Hole goes hundreds of feet deep with intricate tunnels that somehow connect to the ocean. It's also a very peaceful place for breakfast.
Governor's Harbor- One of the many towns we passed through today on our road trip around Eleuthera Island. Fun Fact: The oldest building on the island is in this town, and it's the public library. #booksareknowledge
Island Made: This local shop features art work and crafts made by the locals on Eleuthera. Visitors can "sign-in" within the bathroom. We spotted the name of NHS alumni, Alex Lowe III, from last year's trip. Huskies are becoming a staple here on Eleuthera in early March each year.
Glass Window Bridge: This is one of Eleuthera's true wonders with the dark blue water of the Atlantic on one side, and the turquoise waters of the Bight of Eleuthera on the the other side.
The Island Girls, but whose legs are those?!
The Bucket Brigade, taking their sun safety seriously.
The Cave: Here you can experience absolute, total darkness when everyone turns off their lights. You cannot tell if your eyes are open or closed. It's a unique and meditative experience. (Just don't think about tarantulas...)
The "birthday cake" stalagmite in the background with the Husky Spelunkers gathered around. Clancey doing his best Gollum impression from Lord of the Rings. "My precious..."
Lunch Break: Turkey and Cheese sandos excellently prepared by our fearless leader, Bronte.
Navy Beach: This is an abandoned US Navy station from the Cuban Missile Crisis era. It takes some adventuring to find, but after a short hike, it opens up to a secluded, beautiful beach.
It was nice to splash in the waves and wash of the grime from the caves.
A "NAMY" is naure apprection moment, and we've had lots to appreciate and be grateful for this trip.
Fish Identification: Tonight we learned about what's in the sea and how to identify certain species. What makes a fish a fish? Ask Brady and Sophia, then have Nate draw one for you.
Tonight was turned into a bit of a competition with another visiting school, Deerfield Academy.
Above we can see C. Clancey in action as he deciphers fish species. Clancey's island name: Grunt Fish.
Focus, Teamwork, and Collaboration: The Huskies deliberate and order fish species in the final round.
Full Days, Full Hearts, and Full Minds: A typical day for us here at The Island School School starts at 6:30am and finishes around 8pm. Lights out at 9:30pm. Another best day tomorrow!
DAY FOUR: We started the day at 6:30am with a High-Intensity Interval workout in the boathouse. What a workout! Afterwards, we all jumped off the dock into the ocean to cool off. A hearty breakfast is crucial today because we'll be spending lots of time in the water. Above is the breakfast view from The Island School's "dining hall."
Gearing Up: This morning we'll be heading out in boats to local coral reefs. After lunch, we'll snorkel through mangroves and learn about local ecosystems. We will be wet, sandy, and in the sun all day, and we'll be very happy about it. Not many pictures today... My phone charger was ruined in the first day's storm and I don't want my phone to die next.
Tonight we laid out on the beach and Rachel told us the history and stories of the stars. This was a fascinating talk that included the science behind stars, the history of the universe, and the stories of the constellations. This was a relaxing, informative, and captivating way to end our fourth day at The Island School.
DAY FIVE: We hopped in the vans at 6:45am and drove to High Rock.
High Rock is a special place at The Island School. It symbolizes taking the risk to start new adventures and push your boundaries. For our group, it was also a reminder that we'll be jumping back to our normal lives soon as Project Week comes to a close. Eventually, and with a lot of encouragement, our whole group made the leap of faith.
We helped out with the aquaponics system/farm by planting lettuce and harvesting crops. These vegetables go directly to The Island School dining hall and in the salad bar. Fresh!
Joseph is a legend at The Island School and full of positivity. He's been planting crops, landscaping, and running the farm for nearly 25 years. Above we can see him sharing some fresh coconut with George. George has been searching for the perfect coconut all week, and this morning Joseph delivered!
Views from the dining hall...
Getting chummy over some food that is yummy. "Quality over quantity." -C. Clancey
Schooner's Bay- We arrived here after a short boat ride from The Island School. This sandbar we are standing on only lasts for a few hours each day. We made our mark here, but once we leave, it will be washed away...
"This is the best football field I have ever played on." -G. Frink
Small particles called "ooids" make up this sandbar. You can scrub them on your body and face to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin. Above are Jacob and Brady feeling fresh after an ooid treatment.
George frolicking in the sandbar with glee. In between football, he found some time to snorkel and search for star biscuits.
L. Tobin & C. MacKenzie: Project Week 2024 leaders to The Island School
Did Garrett have some mishaps on the bike this week? Yes. Did he almost fall down a hole in the cave? Yes. Did he almost drift out to sea at Navy Beach? Possibly. Did he faceplant on the dock? Yes. Did he have the best touchdown of the week, today at the sandbar? Absolutely; I can confirm!
The boys looked dapper for their last dinner at The Island School.