At College of the Atlantic, we believe that students learn best when they get as much individual attention from faculty as possible. Groups of students will rotate through a variety of activities and learning experiences, while individuals or smaller groups of students will participate in intensive tutorials. This program is limited to 16 students.

Over the course of twelve days you will:

• Immerse yourself in ecology, culture, and history of Down East Maine, learning from an interdisciplinary perspective. You will explore oceanography, marine biology, field ecology, history, literature, writing, music, and media studies.
• Spend several nights at each of the college’s island field stations.
• Visit whale feeding grounds, seal haul-outs, seabird colonies, and the rocky intertidal coastline.
• Gain firsthand experience in data collection and research with whale and seabird experts at offshore island research stations.
• Explore writing and literature with college professors while visiting the places you are reading about and honing your own writing skills.
• Develop skills and potential in creative expression through music, video, or other media.

Program Overview

The program begins with an introduction to the ecology and culture of Down East Maine at College of the Atlantic's ocean-side campus.

The first few days of the course will focus on the marine ecology, literature, and the cultural history of the Maine coastline. Next, we will spend the night at the college's field stations on Mt. Desert Rock and Great Duck Island, sleeping in the islands' light stations and experiencing firsthand the joys and challenges of marine field research.

Returning to shore, we will explore the livelihoods of the people who have made this coast their home and how the changing environment has shaped their experiences. Students will continue to express themselves through music, writing, and photography.

Throughout the course, students will work directly with College of the Atlantic faculty members, writing extensively about their experiences, and working as part of a team to develop a multi-media presentation to share with their professors, peers, and the public at the end of the session.