Attending the Educators Conference at The Island School in Eleuthera, Bahamas is an experience I will never forget, as it has already altered how I view education and educational leadership. With a focus on best practices in experiential education, we spent the week challenging ourselves to become students engaged in sustainable community living and place-based learning. To do this, we began with a discussion about our personal zones of comfort and how the activities we were about to engage in would push our boundaries of comfort… and they did!
Throughout the week, I was challenged and pushed, and despite my discomfort, energized by how much I learned about myself, nature, and the importance of finding a sense of place. I also experienced how that sense of belonging is the foundation for creating community, developing confidence, and having the capacity for change.
Because of their location, everything from operations to curriculum at the Island School focuses on sustainability and conservation. We learned about their aquaponics system, how they compost and separate their garbage, what they do to maintain their farm, (which has both crops and animals), and reflected on ways to link art and science by keeping a nature journal. Throughout the week, I thought about how our students might benefit from an activity like nature journaling, combining their passion for art with the curiosity of scientific inquiry.
Attending the Educators Conference was a transformational opportunity for personal and professional growth that I look forward to sharing with my colleagues and students. While I was away, I thought about how I could bring what I have learned back to the Franklin Academy community, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about how our students would benefit from a similar Island School experience. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and eager to apply what I’ve learned in the upcoming school year. I’m also thrilled that the inaugural February 2025 “FLIP” program will feature a week-long, hands-on learning adventure at The Island School!
