Island School Students Learn Ocean Science by Growing Kelp

Posted October 20, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.

Students in Maine who have been learning about marine science will conclude their project by dropping kelp-growing lines in the water at the start of the winter growing season.
The Peaks Island Elementary students have been participating in a program called “KELP4KIDS.”
KELP4KIDS is a 12-week curriculum for second- through fifth-graders at the island school. Kelp is grown as a crop in Maine for use in food and other products.

2017 Island Teachers Conference: Meeting island students where they are

Posted October 13, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.

Island schools may be small, but the needs and interests of their students are big and varied. How then do island educators provide the wide range of support and rigor needed to ensure a student’s success? Personalized learning plans, trauma-informed classrooms, and integrated creative arts are just some of the innovative approaches that were featured at the recent 2017 Island Teachers Conference.

Summer Institute for Island and Coastal Teachers is a SUCCESS

Posted July 24, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.

In mid-July, 22 educators from 11 schools and organizations gathered at College of the Atlantic for an intensive three-day workshop focused on experiential and place-based learning. Learn more about the workshop and the important role differentiation plays in island education from Education Director Yvonne Thomas.

One Shirt, Two Shirt, Green Shirt, Blue Shirt

Posted June 14, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.

Tess Beem, our TLC Project Coordinator, reflects on the past year and what she’s learned about the elusive mixing and melding that happens when the TLC island schools get together for at an in-person field trip, and the importance of downtime, free play, or unstructured time — what she calls magical mix time.

Q&A: A new approach to post-secondary achievement

Posted April 20, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.

The Mentoring, Access and Persistence (MAP) program for high school juniors launched in March with a lunch and learning session in Northport. 16 students will be supported as they apply to and begin post-secondary education.
We sat down with Caroline Moore, Community Development Associate, to learn more..

Island Institute Report Reflects Challenges for Maine & the Coast

Posted March 16, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.

The Island Institute, based in Rockland, just released the first edition of “Waypoints: Community Indicators for Maine’s Coast and Islands.” The publication presents economic, community and environmental indicators for Maine’s coastal and island communities as they compare to the rest of the state and the nation. Detailed data on each of the 120 island and coastal communities is available online in the supplementary data tables. “Waypoints” is available online at www.islandinstitute.org/waypoints.

Island Institute publishes ‘deep dive’ into coastal, island economies

Posted March 15, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.

The Island Institute has published its first deep-dive comparison of the economic, community and environmental indicators for Maine’s coastal and island communities with the rest of the state and nation.
The first edition of “Waypoints: Community Indicators for Maine’s Coast and Islands” is intended to be a resource for local community members, state and federal representatives, agency staff and research partners whose work relates to and impacts coastal communities.

Island Institute publishes first edition of “Waypoints: Community Indicators for Maine’s Coast and Islands” – with summary analysis and detailed data on 120 communities

Posted March 13, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under Press Release.

ROCKLAND, ME – The Island Institute released today the first edition of Waypoints: Community Indicators for Maine’s Coast and Islands. The publication presents economic, community and environmental indicators for Maine’s coastal and island communities as they compare to the rest of the state and the nation.

Catching Fish and Growing Kelp: Learning outside the classroom

Posted February 16, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.

When we talk about ‘fishing’ on Vinalhaven, most people think of catching lobsters, but in Port Clyde, fishing means more than that. A group of Vinalhaven students who are part of the Eastern Maine Skippers Program (EMSP) recently spent a day at Herring Gut Learning Center finding out about other fisheries and their place in the ocean food web.

7 Questions Island Students Have About High School

Posted January 18, 2017 by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.

High school. Think piles of homework, jammed lockers, running late into class because you got lost, super competitive athletics, and the ever-intimidating seniors strolling the halls. While it’s certainly not all like this, these are some of the images that we associate with high school, thanks to movies and stories we may have seen and heard. In reality, the transition from middle school to high school is a time of marked change, which can be scary and intimidating to navigate, but exciting at the same time. High school brings new freedoms and responsibilities, as well