![Two Juniors Speak about Semester at The Island School]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1581100766/morristown/cj4bsolumbfdo4y6l21p/IslandSchoolCvr.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1581100766/morristown/cj4bsolumbfdo4y6l21p/IslandSchoolCvr.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1581100766/morristown/cj4bsolumbfdo4y6l21p/IslandSchoolCvr.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1581100766/morristown/cj4bsolumbfdo4y6l21p/IslandSchoolCvr.jpg","width":1190}])
This past semester, MBS juniors Matthew Aiello ’21 and Zachary Alin-Hvidsten ’21 participated in an exciting study abroad program at The Island School in the Bahamas. On Friday, February 7th, they spoke about the experience at All-School Meeting.
The Island School – located in Eleuthera, The Bahamas – is dedicated to helping high school sophomores and juniors from around the world live sustainably in the 21stcentury and learn outside the walls of a classroom. With the campus and surrounding ocean as its laboratory, the school engages students in the process of inquiry in order to discover solutions to real world problems.
“Research was a large aspect of The Island School’s curriculum, and we had research class all day, two times a week,” said Zach, whose research group focused on food security. “We spent the majority of our semester creating ways in which we could educate the local community on food security – which we did through classes, presentations, and advertisement posters.”
When the students weren’t conducting research, they had courses in English, History and Math. On Fridays, the group would embark on expeditions, spending half a day scuba diving and the other half of the day analyzing and discussing what they found, including turtles, sharks, conch and coral reef.
After seven weeks of school, the students participated in two weeks of expeditions that included a 45-mile sea kayaking trip and a “down island” and a 48-hour solo trip.
“Before I went to The Island School, people would say to me, ‘Are you sure about this? Junior year is important.’ I was worried about school – falling behind in classes and college preparation,” admitted Matt. “But I wanted to do something different – learn from different people and do different things. Not until I came home had a realized that I made the right decision.”
This week, MBS parents and students were able to learn more about The Island School and other global study programs, service trips, immersion programs, and more at the Morristown-Beard School Global Vendor Day on Thursday, February 6th. For more information about the MBS Global Studies Program, please contact Aline de la Torre-McCloskey at adelatorre@mbs.net
