At Maine Coast Semester, our work program, daily chores, and dish crews are more than just “helping out.” They’re a big part of what makes this place feel real. Every day, students roll up their sleeves and do work that actually matters, the work that keeps our community running. Along the way, you build practical skills and life habits: showing up, taking pride in your effort, learning to work as a team, and finishing strong.

Each work crew is guided by faculty and staff from across Chewonki. There’s often music playing, laughter, and those great, unplanned conversations that happen when people work side by side. Whether you’re washing dishes, stacking firewood, mucking a stall, or fixing a trail, you’re part of something bigger than yourself. You start to see the difference between doing a job because you have to… and doing it because it feels good to contribute to a community you care about.

Work is woven into the rhythm of every day. Mornings start with cleaning and caring for our shared spaces in student-faculty teams before breakfast. Later, the hum of the dish room becomes the heartbeat of campus, as crews rotate through each week, keeping meals moving and spirits high.

Twice a week, students spend 1½ to 2 hours in Work Program rotations around campus. You might find yourself helping on the farm, joining the woodshop or facilities crew (repairing, building, painting, or moving), assisting in the kitchen, clearing trails, battling invasive plants, shoveling snow, writing blogs, planning Friday socials, or supporting the critters in our wildlife center. Every task connects back to the same goal: living actively, building real skills, and strengthening the community through honest, hands-on work.