VISION

To be a community that fosters the development of responsible, caring global citizens by restoring a sense of wonder and respect for biotic and cultural complexity.

The Island School serves as a catalyst in the global transition to a more livable future through:

• Connecting students to place through continuous interaction with local culture and environments;
• Developing citizens who maintain responsibility for themselves, larger communities and the biosphere;
• Creating authentic learning opportunities where students are producers of information that has lasting value beyond the classroom experience;
• Building an understanding of personal and cultural lens and bias and the roles they play in reaching solutions to problems;
• Empowering students to continue to be active as leaders and educators in their communities after graduation; and
• Modeling sustainable systems that allow us to live with a reverence for the future.

The Island School is operated and supported by the Cape Eleuthera Foundation, our U.S. 501(c)3 entity.

The Island School is much more than a place of learning. Students are active participants in the educational process; students have to think like scientists, cultural historians, and teachers. Island School students are forced beyond the quest for a grade - they face real problems and challenges in and out of class: "How can people here help the wild conch population replenish itself, while not taking away the livelihood of fishermen?" "Where do our water and electricity come from?" "Can fish farming be a viable alternative to catching wild fish?" "Where does our waste go?" "What are farmers here growing, and what can we grow?" Students must grapple with issues that confront their lives because they have chosen to live on this island called Eleuthera – if only for three months.

Teaching at The Island School is a community effort; there are lectures and traditional classes, but often students and teachers explore new information and learn together. This process requires teamwork and interactive critical thinking. When faced with a task full of uncertainty, some students are at first uncomfortable. Although many of us are accustomed to being fed information, at The Island School we challenge each other to find solutions. This opportunity to make discoveries enlivens student thinking; students begin to see that their work can make a difference for the environment and the local people. Students at The Island School may find themselves up to their knees in mud while exploring a mangrove creek, face to face with a coral reef 40 feet underwater, or holding a 700 year old pottery shard. Such experiences push students outside of their comfort zones, accelerate the learning process, and inspire self-confidence. At The Island School the environment becomes the classroom.