Two weeks ago, on August 29th, 45 students from 11 states and 36 high schools arrived at Chewonki to launch Maine Coast Semester 61. During their four months on Chewonki Neck, this talented group of students will take a deep dive into place-based education. They'll study human ecology, natural history, sustainability, and farm and food systems, along with math, art, literature, and world languages. They'll explore Maine's coastal ecology and volunteer at the Common Ground Country Fair. They'll Read More
Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki
Maine Coast Semester Welcomes New Faculty to Campus
For the past two weeks new and returning Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki faculty have been a-buzz about campus, planning and prepping for the start of the new school year and the arrival of Semester 61. We are delighted to welcome these new additions to our faculty: Katherine Curtis, Math Teacher Katie holds a BA in Geology from Colby College and a MS in Earth Sciences from Dartmouth College. Katie has taught middle and high school math at both Falmouth Academy and the Dublin School, where Read More
Making Waves: Shaping Eco-Friendly Surf Products at Maine Coast Semester
A native of landlocked Colorado, Reid Hill's love of surfing began on family vacations. Wherever they traveled, his father would find waves, and taught Reid and his brother to surf when they were just seven years old. So when Reid arrived at Maine Coast Semester last fall for semester 59, he was excited to take his interest in surfing further for his Human Ecology Capstone (HEC) project. Human ecology is the study of human interaction with the natural world, and capstone projects allow semester Read More
Maine Coast Semester Alumni Take on New Roles and Responsibility at Salt Marsh Farm
Chewonki recently welcomed back Maine Coast Semester 59 alumni Phoebe, and Semester 57 alumni Grayson, as summer farm workers at Salt Marsh Farm. Phoebe, a rising senior at Dwight Englewood School in New Jersey, first came to Chewonki in the fall of 2017. She says the best part of her new role is "hanging out with the animals," and taking on more responsibility. Giving the ewes and lambs their monthly shots, for example, seemed scary at first. But after some guidance from Chewonki's more Read More
What the “HEC?!?” Capping off a Fantastic Semester with a Deep Dive into Human Ecology
Maine Coast Semester reserves the last academic week of each semester for Human Ecology Capstone projects (this is often called HEC Week here on campus). Human ecology is the study of human interaction with the natural world, and HEC projects give students the opportunity to explore a topic of deep, personal interest, come to understand it in a holistic way, and present a viable course of action in response. Through their projects, students gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of the Read More
A Distant Holla: Illuminating Overlooked Narratives at the Portland Museum of Art
After a rowdy, 45-minute bus ride from Wiscasset to Portland, we arrived at the Portland Museum of Art for our highly anticipated art field trip to the 2018 Biennial. After donning pink stickers and milling about in the lobby, we were given the opportunity to look around the museum. Very Chewonki-like, classmates pointed out familiar species of birds they saw in the paintings. A piece inspired by A Midsummer’s Night Dream took up an entire wall and came with a headset equipped with classical Read More
Getting a Taste of the College Experience
Each spring, we offer a special college counseling program for our spring students (current high school juniors) to think and talk about their future and what they might want out of college in light of their Maine Coast Semester experience. Although some of our students are well into the process already, some haven't begun to ponder college at all. The program kicks off with College Counseling Weekend, which occurred this April. The weekend began with a panel discussion lead by Susan Feibelman, Read More
A Time All Their Own: Students Spend Two Days Alone in the Woods
Every Maine Coast Semester student has the chance to spend 48 hours camping alone on Chewonki Neck. They set off for their “solos” with the same basic supplies; what they do out there is up to them. “This is a time all their own,” says teaching fellow Drew Higgins. Semester 60 students went on their solos last weekend. Afterwards, they were brimming with thoughts. Some used the two days to reflect on their lives, connect with themselves, observe and appreciate nature. Some chose to catch up on Read More
Landscape Painter Matthew Russ Captures the Chewonki Waterfront ?
Noted landscape painter Matthew Russ (Boys Camp staff ’94) visited Chewonki this week to work on his series of paintings of Montsweag Brook. While on campus, Matt demonstrated landscape painting techniques to Sue West's class, Art and the Natural World. This is the third painting in a series that Matt has been working on since last winter. Check out another video of Matt painting that was captured in October: Matt completed the first painting in this series last March: For a deeper look Read More
Music in the Soil, Music in the Soul
Above: Claire performs a short piece on her fiddle during a quiet moment on campus Stepping out of the car on my first day at Maine Coast Semester, I remember feeling excited, curious, and a little bit nauseous. I’m not going to lie, my first 24 hours here were awkward for me, and I missed my cat a fair amount. I spent my first night contemplating my decision to absorb myself into the Chewonki lifestyle for the next 4 months of my life. I was especially hesitant about my decision because I Read More