With the arrival of 62nd group of Maine Coast Semester students this week, “all hands” have been busy with cleaning and organizing. Greg Shute, our senior vice president, uncovered a few dusty gems in the back of the library that are worth sharing, in particular, a copy of Faces of Maine, by Chewonki alumn Bob …
Many enthusiastic educators, says Chewonki Team Development Coordinator Shelly Gibson, “tend to think of experiential education as synonymous with outdoor adventure.” Four days with 149 colleagues from around North America at the Independent Schools Experiential Education Network (ISEEN) Winter Institute reinforced for her that experiential education can happen anywhere, indoors and outdoors, on mountaintops and …
Beyond Borders: Experiential Education Through the Lens of Equity and Justice. Read More »
A familiar figure on Chewonki Neck and at Chewonki’s Big Eddy Cabins and Campground in the North Woods for nearly two decades, Don Lamson is setting off on a new adventure: retirement. We couldn’t be happier for him. We appreciate all the care he has given to Chewonki people and places. Luckily, his wife, Dot …
Many Thanks to Don Lamson, Retiring from Big Eddy Read More »
It’s 5 degrees under a blue sky and the 41 new students of Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki are digging in. They have only been here 10 days but they are starting to look right at home. They know where to eat, take a shower, compost, and find their classes (“Where’s the Fish Bowl?”). They …
Seventh-graders from the Elementary School at Chewonki, along with their teacher and several other Chewonki staff, ventured 135 miles north last week to camp for three nights and four days at Big Wood Pond in Jackman, Maine. The beauty was breathtaking and so, at times, was the temperature, which ranged from 20℉ to -20℉, with …
Last week our students from Maine Coast Semester 62 took to the woods & wilds of Maine for a mid-winter adventure. We split into five teams to visit these remarkable destinations: Woodcove on Big Wood Pond, Haskell Hut in the Katadhin Woods & Waters National Monument, Lonesome Lake Hut via Appalachian Mountain Club, and Poplar Hut and Stratton Brook …
Chapin Hall, famous for its full-sized fin whale skeleton, welcomed another unusual display last month: Chewonki’s new portable planetarium. According to Chewonki Traveling History Program Coordinator Emma Balazs, “This opens up an entirely new area of study for us. We are incredibly excited.” The planetarium is a gift from the Museum of Science, Boston. Mike …
Back at home, our friends are lifting their hands only to swipe a metro card or drive to school. How bittersweet our memories of low muscle mass are. The same day we left behind sports practices, after-school activities and free time, we were setting up for a lifestyle that would engage muscles we didn’t even …
Last August, we welcomed a film crew to Chewonki Neck to film a special segment of Maine Cabin Masters, a popular series on the DIY Network featuring a team that restores classic Maine cabins that have fallen into disrepair. Chewonki Wildlife Educator Jessica Woodend met with the film crew and series star Ashley Morrill to explain …
Chewonki Bat Boxes Featured on Maine Cabin Masters Read More »
Today, April 5th, marks the 45th anniversary of the Outdoor Classroom program at Chewonki. In the early days, the program was referred to as “Outdoor Challenge” or “Environmental Awareness Programs, or “Environmental Education” (E.E. for short) but the original curriculum has remained remarkably popular with local and regional school groups. Don Hudson, president emeritus of …
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