Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/436829
offering students hands-on curriculum about ecology and the environment — as well as a pathway to ecotourism and conservation science jobs and internships. "We are very excited," says Anita Rockwell, art teacher and liaison to the conservancy. "Literally, the island can be the classroom. After all, we live in paradise. Providing students with fieldwork to study our island's ecology with a STEM approach to learning will bring a greater awareness to the vital role students will play as the future caregivers of this island." Ftering connections in a remote locale Alicia Chavez talks to 11th- and 12th-graders about what it's like to go away to college. The San Diego State Uni- versity student is visiting Joanel Huart's AVID class at her former school. The students have lots of questions: Do you get homesick? Do you like your roommate? Where do you study? While many students have the option of living at home and attending a local college, Avalon students must move away for college. Many will be the first in their families to attend college and are nervous about moving to the mainland. "Financially, it's a bigger challenge for our students, because they will have to make a home for themselves and leave a tight-knit community where they know every single person," says Huart. "Our kids live in a tourist des- tination and begin working at a young age to help support their families. We drive home the point they need to save for college, too. Our AVID classes have helped improve the college-going culture, and we have more students going to four-year colleges than we did a decade ago." The community offers many scholarships, and students know their teachers are "rooting" for them to go to college and be successful. AVID students go on lots of field trips to college campuses and are encouraged to check out smaller universities where they might feel at home. Another challenge of island living is playing sports. Coaches must be willing to commute across the water for competitions. Sometimes, by the time Avalon students arrive, they may be feeling seasick. The same is true of visiting teams, jokingly referred to as the "home field advantage" by locals. Avalon students may be isolated, but they are smart and confident, say teachers proudly. "Our students grow up in a community where they meet tourists from all over the world and are comfortable speaking to adults they don't know," says Torres-Zeller. "On the island, there's a freedom to be who you are in your own quirky way. That will definitely be an advantage for our students when they venture out into the world someday." "The most challenging part is probably the commute," says Lynda Muenzer, here with Miriam Carrillo. "Sometimes I can work on the boat, but I have to be careful because I get motion sickness from reading while the boat is rocking." Students play tug-of-war during a rally. 41 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 5