Experiential Science Programs for School Groups
We partner with educators from schools, colleges, and universities from across the country to run field-based education programs that inspire the next generation of environmental leaders.
Our experiential learning opportunities dissolve the traditional boundaries between the classroom and the real world. We create immersive programs that empower students to take ownership of their own learning as they meet, and exceed, state and national standards through their work.
Many of our programs give students first-hand experience with the scientific process, helping them grow their powers of observation, ask stronger questions, and critically analyze and reflect on information from a variety of sources.
Our powerful island environment gives students permission to focus on being present in the place and with the people around them, whether they are scrambling along the coast or hiking through the forest. This sense of community forms the base from which students consider their own impacts through a variety of lenses, including sustainability, climate change, and environmental justice.
With the guidance of our expert educators in Hurricane island, students engage in activities designed to serve different learning styles. Students build confidence in conducting field science experiments and are challenged to put their knowledge into action, making real-world connections while building communication, teamwork, and leadership skills.
Our programs empower students to take charge of their education in meaningful and lasting ways as environmental advocates and stewards in their own communities.
FAQ’s
Programs range from 2-12 days (or more!) in length and are fully customizable to meet your curricular goals.
Optional classroom support is available to complement your program before and/or after your visit to the island.
Programs are offered to kick-off the school year between August and October, or as a capstone experience from April through June.
We approach education through an interdisciplinary lens and can incorporate history, art, social studies, English, engineering, technology, and math into our science programming.
Our staff of experience K-12 and field science educators can lead activities and work directly with students or act as facilitators to help classroom teachers implement hands-on curriculum.
Sample Programs
These are examples of the kinds of programs Hurricane Island can deliver to help your students demonstrate proficiency across multiple indicators from the common core & from next generation science standards. Our educators will work with you to fully customize lessons to suit your grade level, subject emphasis, and visit duration.
Project-Based Field Science
Rooted in the Scientific Practices Dimension of the Next generation Science Standards, this program gives students an opportunity to work through their own process of scientific inquiry, from generating a question to collecting data and presenting their synthesized results.
Human Impacts on the Environment
This program enables students to explore how they can be both scientists and environmental stewards, and how each one serves the other. Hurricane Island’s off-the-grid campus is an ideal backdrop for considering human impacts on marine and terrestrial environments.
Naturalist Skill Building
This program teaches students about how scientists observe the natural world, and how these observations can lead to questions and new discoveries. Hurricane Island’s location in Maine’s Penobscot Bay provides a uniquely beautiful setting for closely observing nature.
Citizen Science
This program teaches students how to be active citizen scientists in their own communities, contributing data for real scientists to use in research. Hurricane Island’s Field Research Station serves as a base for multiple scientific research projects to which students can significantly contribute.
Sustainable Leadership
Through accessible, easy-to-understand infrastructure systems, students learn about the physical systems that support human habitation of our off-grid island community. Our goal is to excite people about doing science and about being leaders in the next wave of scientific discovery and environmental conservation.
“There is something very special about having students immersed in an environment and unplugged from their daily lives. Field research is physically demanding and intellectual challenging, and it is far superior to a classroom situation. You become a part of your work in a way that never happens in a classroom. At Hurricane it was possible to work out the best program for the students. They allow their teachers to follow their own curriculum and enrich it by collaborating with the staff.”
