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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T160000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260512T190203Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T184749Z
UID:10000080-1778922000-1778947200@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Beech Hill Farmstand opening day
DESCRIPTION:The farmstand at College of the Atlantic Beech Hill Farm opens for the season on Saturday\, May 16 and will be stocked with a wide array of farm-grown seedlings\, MOFGA certified fruits and vegetables\, local meats\, cheeses\, preserves\, and more. \nCash\, card\, SNAP/EBT\, WIC and Share the Harvest Vouchers are all accepted forms of payment. All SNAP/EBT and WIC purchases receive 50% off through the double-your-dollar program.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/beech-hill-farmstead-opening-day/
LOCATION:College of the Atlantic Beech Hill Farm\, 171 Beech Hill Rd\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4018_bhf_veg-1.avif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T143000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260504T195748Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260504T195748Z
UID:10000054-1778932800-1778941800@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Benefit lunch
DESCRIPTION:Come eat delicious food while raising funds for educational initiatives at the Benefit Lunch. \nWhat started as a project for the Business and Non-Profit Basics class in the winter of 2025 has evolved into a once-per-term tradition each term where all donations have\, so far\, gone to funding different schools or students in Asia. This term\, proceeds from the event will support the Ashraya Initiative (AIC) in Pune\, India. Ashraya is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting underprivileged children by providing them with shelter\, education\, and opportunities to build a better future. This NGO was started by a few 2004 United World College India alumni\, and today it impacts more than 200 children and families.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/benefit-lunch/
LOCATION:Blair Dining Hall\, 105 Eden St\, Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/5711_anthropology_of_food_indigo.avif
ORGANIZER;CN="Poonam Waghri":MAILTO:pwaghri27@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T160000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260428T182916Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T195740Z
UID:10000050-1778932800-1778947200@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Share the Harvest bowl-a-thon
DESCRIPTION:Support local food access by joining interdisciplinary arts professor Anna Ialeggio and studio potter/adjunct instructor Kreg McCune to craft bowls for Share the Harvest’s annual community supper fundraiser later this term. \nShare the Harvest seeks donations of skill and time to crank out thrown or hand built bowls—all bowls and even plates are welcome. At the top of every hour-long slot\, some guidance will be offered for those who want it; five minutes until the end\, please wipe down the wheel for the next person. \nOpen to all experience levels—come mess around with hand building and wheel throwing. \nRegister here to throw on the wheel. Space is limited to seven throwers per hour.\nRegistration is not required for participants who do not plan to use the wheel. A non-electric treadle wheel is available first come\, first served.\nShare the Harvest is a COA student-led initiative dedicated to making fresh\, organic\, locally grown produce more accessible to low-income residents on Mount Desert Island—one box\, one voucher\, and one delivery at a time.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/share-the-harvest-bowl-a-thon/
LOCATION:Ceramics Studio\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ceramics_Art_Julia-Houede-_23_57-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Cora Carvalho e Silva":MAILTO:ccarvalhoesilva@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260517T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260517T180000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260515T181145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T181145Z
UID:10000081-1779026400-1779040800@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:May Day Renaissance Celebration
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate spring and warmer weather with an afternoon of music\, outing program activities\, and a cookout. \nThis year’s May Day celebration is held in the Kathryn W. Davis Center for International & Regional Studies backyard\, hosted by the RA team. Dress up in your best renaissance themed clothes and come enjoy the warm weather with friends.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/may-day-renaissance-celebration/
LOCATION:Kathryn W. Davis Center for International & Regional Studies\, 12 South Rd\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nature-plants-flowers-daisies-688308-crop.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Cora Carvalho e Silva":MAILTO:ccarvalhoesilva@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260519T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260519T203000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260515T204413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T204413Z
UID:10000082-1779215400-1779222600@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Amphibian monitoring training
DESCRIPTION:Join the Acadia Amphibian Project for a night full of frogs\, toads\, and salamanders. \nHelp protect local amphibians while contributing to research in Acadia National Park. Trainer Sheridan Todd (she/her) will instruct on how to identify amphibians and how to monitor for amphibians on roadways. After this volunteer training\, participants can contribute to community science efforts and support current research by University of Maine PhD student Marisa Monroe. \nTodd is the Biological Science and Volunteer Engagement Technician for the Acadia Amphibian Project. In her position\, she supports research by Marisa Monroe\, surveying for amphibians on roadways and coordinating with volunteers. She graduated from the University of Portland with a BS in Environmental Science and has a background in science communication\, ecosystem management\, and environmental education. \nReach out to Todd via email with any questions about the Acadia Amphibian Project at stodd@schoodicinstitute.org
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/amphibian-monitoring-training/
LOCATION:Davis Center for Human Ecology\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/salamander2.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Cora Carvalho e Silva":MAILTO:ccarvalhoesilva@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T143000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260316T214001Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T210723Z
UID:10000035-1779282000-1779287400@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:All College Meeting
DESCRIPTION:Students\, staff\, and faculty gather to discuss and make decisions on important College of the Atlantic policies and community issues. \nAt the weekly All College Meeting (ACM)\, committee decisions are reported and approved (or not)\, policies are debated and voted upon\, and we wrestle together as a community with the tough issues facing colleges everywhere\, as well as those that are unique to COA. At the ACM\, no agenda item is too large or small: we discuss campus plans\, review faculty hires\, and learn about the college’s annual budget. Each ACM closes with announcements from students\, staff\, and faculty. \nOpen to COA community
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/all-college-meeting-2/2026-05-20/
LOCATION:Thomas S. Gates\, Jr. Community Center\, 105 Eden Street\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2298_expeditionary_fund_acm_1.rev_.1443215262.avif
ORGANIZER;CN="Ken Cline":MAILTO:kcline@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T173000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260515T203642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T203642Z
UID:10000083-1779292800-1779298200@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Native pollinator garden tour
DESCRIPTION:Timothy Barker Plotkin ’26 shares his senior project at College of the Atlantic Beech Hill Farm. \nThere are more than 200 species of native bees here in Hancock County\, some so highly specialized that they pollinate primarily from one type of flower. For his senior project\, Barker Plotkin has spent his time learning about each one of these bees and how they fit into the ecosystem. This research supported him in writing a native bee field guide for local farmers and establishing a pollinator garden at Beech Hill Farm. Participants will get the chance to explore the management practices implemented at Beech Hill to support local pollinators\, take home a field guide to the native bees of Hancock County with watercolor illustrations by Barker Plotkin\, and build nesting habitat for our native insects. \nSpace will be limited to around 12-15 participants due to a finite number of field guides\, nesting habitat materials\, and the desire to keep the workshop smaller since we will be walking and talking around the farm. \nRegistration required. Vans will leave from the Whale Skull.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/native-pollinator-garden-tour/
LOCATION:College of the Atlantic Beech Hill Farm\, 171 Beech Hill Rd\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3814_wild_gardens_4_-1.avif
ORGANIZER;CN="Cora Carvalho e Silva":MAILTO:ccarvalhoesilva@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T173000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260428T200541Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T200541Z
UID:10000051-1779293400-1779298200@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Thorndike Library talk: Transgender health through an economic Lens
DESCRIPTION:Cody van Heerden Chair in Economics & Quantitative Social Sciences Dr. Hien Nguyen. Nguyen explores questions around transgender health through the lens of economics\, a discipline that has significant influence over current public health policy and debates. \nDoes access to gender-affirming healthcare actually improve the lives of transgender people? Should puberty blockers and hormone therapy be made available to youth under 18? More importantly\, how much can we trust the evidence? This talk shares how Dr. Nguyen approaches these questions through the lens of economics\, a discipline that has significant influence over current public health policy and debates. Dr. Nguyen discusses findings from two published studies examining the effect of gender-affirming care and hormone therapy\, and reflects on what the research gets right\, what it leaves out\, and why those distinctions matter. The talk also grapples with the current landscape that these findings now inhabit — one of sweeping legal restrictions\, vanishing data\, and intensifying political conflict over transgender rights. What should responsible\, evidence-based\, trans-focused research look like in this environment? \nDr. Hien Nguyen is a faculty member in economics and teaches courses in microeconomics\, macroeconomics\, Marxist political economy\, and feminist economics.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/thorndike-library-talk-transgender-health-through-an-economic-lens/
LOCATION:Thorndike Library Reading Room\, Kaelber Hall\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/hien-nguyen-profile.webp
ORGANIZER;CN="Cora Carvalho e Silva":MAILTO:ccarvalhoesilva@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260525T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260525T173000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260312T174840Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T212717Z
UID:10000013-1779725400-1779730200@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Gillis Blue Humanities Forum: Jeffrey McCarthy
DESCRIPTION:Scholar\, sailor\, and writer Jeffrey McCarthy presents Participate in the Polycrisis: Blue Humanities Now. \nREGISTRATION REQUIRED \nShipwreck symbolizes our environmental future – grand forces sweep us either towards dissolution or reinvention. Which way will we go? The ocean is the very soul of this metaphor because the ocean is the protagonist of contemporary environmental collapse. College of the Atlantic is the perfect place to explore the polycrisis besetting America. Likewise\, the Blue Humanities is the perfect lens to focus the impending threats and opportunities. “Participate in the Polycrisis” offers ocean insights from an environmental humanist and ocean sailor dedicated to communicating the issues and surviving the consequences. \nJeffrey Mathes McCarthy has written four books and many academic articles. He has also published in both popular sailing media and climbing magazines. His books include Contact: Mountain Climbing and Environmental Thinking (University of Nevada Press\, 2008)\, Green Modernism: Nature and the English Novel\, 1900-1930 (Palgrave Macmillan\, 2015)\, Conrad & Nature: New Essays (Routledge\, 2019)\, and Re-envisioning the Anthropocene Ocean (University of Utah Press\, 2023). His most recent essay “Lawrence’s Environmentalism: From ‘Pastoral’ to Anthropocene Rebirth” appears in Reading D.H. Lawrence in the Anthropocene (Edinburgh University Press\, 2025). He has been a Fulbright Fellow\, a Mellon Fellow to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas\, and he has held research fellowships to the National Humanities Center\, the Calgary Institute for the Humanities\, and the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at Edinburgh University. He was the Director of Environmental Humanities at the University of Utah. Before that\, he was a Professor of English and the founding Director of Environmental Studies at Westminster University. \nThe Gillis Blue Humanities Forum is an interdisciplinary exploration of oceans\, waterways\, and aquatic life as central forces shaping culture\, history\, and environmental thought. Bringing together scholars\, artists\, and activists\, the series invites audiences to rethink human relationships with water in an era of climate change and ecological urgency. This series was created in honor of John Gillis by his wife\, Tina. \n 
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/gillis-blue-humanities-forum-jeffrey-mccarthy/
LOCATION:Davis Center for Human Ecology\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Jeffrey-McCarthy.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Cora Carvalho e Silva":MAILTO:ccarvalhoesilva@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260527T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260527T143000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260316T214001Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T210723Z
UID:10000036-1779886800-1779892200@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:All College Meeting
DESCRIPTION:Students\, staff\, and faculty gather to discuss and make decisions on important College of the Atlantic policies and community issues. \nAt the weekly All College Meeting (ACM)\, committee decisions are reported and approved (or not)\, policies are debated and voted upon\, and we wrestle together as a community with the tough issues facing colleges everywhere\, as well as those that are unique to COA. At the ACM\, no agenda item is too large or small: we discuss campus plans\, review faculty hires\, and learn about the college’s annual budget. Each ACM closes with announcements from students\, staff\, and faculty. \nOpen to COA community
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/all-college-meeting-2/2026-05-27/
LOCATION:Thomas S. Gates\, Jr. Community Center\, 105 Eden Street\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2298_expeditionary_fund_acm_1.rev_.1443215262.avif
ORGANIZER;CN="Ken Cline":MAILTO:kcline@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260606T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260606T170000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260309T143138Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T194934Z
UID:10000012-1780754400-1780765200@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:53rd Commencement
DESCRIPTION:Commencement is a special time of year when students\, families\, faculty\, staff\, alumni\, trustees\, and friends come together to celebrate the fruits of many years of hard work. Preparations are underway to say goodbye to the Class of 2026\, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with our community. \nThe 53rd Commencement ceremony will take place on the North Lawn of the College of the Atlantic campus on Saturday\, June 6\, at 2 p.m. EDT. Please use the Maps & Directions page to access our campus map. \nParking at the COA campus is limited\, and we advise attendees to bike\, walk\, and rideshare to attend the commencement ceremony following our best sustainability practices. \nGraduates are required to arrive earlier to take part in the class picture and line up for the procession. More information on senior arrival time to follow during the spring term.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/college-of-the-atlantic-53rd-commencement-ceremony/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/commencement.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260621
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260628
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260309T142314Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T212943Z
UID:10000011-1782000000-1782604799@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance
DESCRIPTION:A week of workshops\, community singing\, jam sessions\, ensembles\, social dances\, and concerts. \n\n\nThe Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance gathers world-class performers\, students and community members together at the beautiful oceanfront campus of College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor\, Maine for awe-inspiring nightly concerts and dances\, as well as daily classes and workshops. In 2026 the gathering will be held June 21-27 and the flagship intensive program will offer unparalleled instruction in fiddle\, dance\, piano\, guitar\, flute\, community singing\, bouzouki\, mandolin\, bodhran\, and harp. \nClass sizes and housing are limited. The evening concert series\, open to the public\, will be announced in the spring—stay tuned for details. \n\n\nRegistration is now open\nScholarships available
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/acadia-festival-of-traditional-music-dance/
LOCATION:College of the Atlantic\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/acadia-trad-festival.webp
ORGANIZER;CN="Cora Carvalho e Silva":MAILTO:ccarvalhoesilva@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T140000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260420T204256Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T213041Z
UID:10000026-1782547200-1782568800@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Poultry processing 101
DESCRIPTION:Join the COA Food and Farming Workshop Series to learn how to safely and humanely harvest chickens and prepare them for cold storage or cooking. \nIn this workshop\, participants will review the safety and cleaning protocols of the Maine 1000-bird exemption processing license\, talk about humane slaughtering and handling techniques\, and work through processing whole organic birds through scalding\, plucking\, evisceration and bagging. Participants will go home with a fresh whole organic chicken.\nParticipants should wear closed-toe waterproof shoes (ideally boots)\, long pants\, clothes that can get messy\, and layers appropriate to the weather. Please bring water and a bagged lunch. \nRegistration fees are offered on a sliding scale and are payable at the Peggy Rockefeller Farm Shopify Site or by cash or check.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/food-and-farming-workshop-series-poultry-processing-101/2026-06-27/
LOCATION:College of the Atlantic Peggy Rockefeller Farm\, 532 Crooked Road\, Bar Harbor\, 04609\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/4357_chickens_at_prf_straighter-2.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="April Nugent":MAILTO:anugent@coa.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260630T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260630T103000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T191723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T212848Z
UID:10000069-1782811800-1782815400@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:MDI Modernists
DESCRIPTION:COA Coffee & Conversation welcomes Jock Herron\, Design Critic in Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design to discuss MDI Modernists: Robert W. Patterson\, Edward Larrabee Barnes & George Howe with former COA board chair Will Thorndike. Both are contributors to the book. \nRegister today \nThe Coffee & Conversation series features discussions between invited guests and College of the Atlantic faculty members\, trustees\, and friends. This summer\, you are invited to join conversations with authors\, scholars\, artists\, and thought leaders. The session are held every Tuesday morning from June 30 – September 1 at The Thomas J. Gates Center (Gates) on COA campus. Sessions are one hour long\, and include a Q&A session. Coffee and pastries are served prior to each session. \nThe Coffee & Conversation series is free and open to the public\, but pre-registration is required. Registration opens May 1 for Champlain Society members\, June 1 for the general public. \n 
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/mdi-modernists/
LOCATION:Thomas S. Gates\, Jr. Community Center\, 105 Eden Street\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-11-172317_cropped.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260707T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260707T103000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T212210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T030928Z
UID:10000073-1783416600-1783420200@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:The Civic Circle
DESCRIPTION:COA Coffee & Conversation welcomes Eliza Newlin Carney\, Washington-based writer\, editor\, and columnist\, and co-founder of The Civic Circle discusses her work to build youth civic power through the arts\, inspiring compassionate\, informed\, engaged citizens. \nRegister today \nThe Coffee & Conversation series features discussions between invited guests and College of the Atlantic faculty members\, trustees\, and friends. This summer\, you are invited to join conversations with authors\, scholars\, artists\, and thought leaders. The session are held every Tuesday morning from June 30 – September 1 at The Thomas J. Gates Center (Gates) on COA campus. Sessions are one hour long\, and include a Q&A session. Coffee and pastries are served prior to each session. \nThe Coffee & Conversation series is free and open to the public\, but pre-registration is required. Registration opens May 1 for Champlain Society members\, June 1 for the general public. \n 
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/the-civic-circle/
LOCATION:Thomas S. Gates\, Jr. Community Center\, 105 Eden Street\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Eliza-Newlin-Carney-scaled.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260714T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260714T103000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T213553Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T001427Z
UID:10000074-1784021400-1784025000@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Monsters in the Archives
DESCRIPTION:COA Coffee & Conversation welcomes Caroline Bicks\, Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine\, to discuss her new book Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King\, a personal exploration of King’s legacy based on her first-of-its-kind access to King’s manuscripts and writing process. She will be joined by Laura Miller\, a books and culture columnist for Slate and founder of salon.com. \nRegister today \nThe Coffee & Conversation series features discussions between invited guests and College of the Atlantic faculty members\, trustees\, and friends. This summer\, you are invited to join conversations with authors\, scholars\, artists\, and thought leaders. The session are held every Tuesday morning from June 30 – September 1 at The Thomas J. Gates Center (Gates) on COA campus. Sessions are one hour long\, and include a Q&A session. Coffee and pastries are served prior to each session. \nThe Coffee & Conversation series is free and open to the public\, but pre-registration is required. Registration opens May 1 for Champlain Society members\, June 1 for the general public. \n 
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/monsters-in-the-archives/
LOCATION:Thomas S. Gates\, Jr. Community Center\, 105 Eden Street\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260721T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260721T103000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T234010Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T234010Z
UID:10000075-1784626200-1784629800@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Cooking Blue: Seafood and Sustainability
DESCRIPTION:COA Coffee & Conversation welcomes Barton Seaver\, chef\, author\, and ocean stewardship advocate to discuss his new book\, The Blue Food Cookbook: Delicious Seafood Recipes for a Sustainable Future. \nRegister today \nThe Coffee & Conversation series features discussions between invited guests and College of the Atlantic faculty members\, trustees\, and friends. This summer\, you are invited to join conversations with authors\, scholars\, artists\, and thought leaders. The session are held every Tuesday morning from June 30 – September 1 at The Thomas J. Gates Center (Gates) on COA campus. Sessions are one hour long\, and include a Q&A session. Coffee and pastries are served prior to each session. \nThe Coffee & Conversation series is free and open to the public\, but pre-registration is required. Registration opens May 1 for Champlain Society members\, June 1 for the general public. \n 
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/cooking-blue-seafood-and-sustainability/
LOCATION:Thomas S. Gates\, Jr. Community Center\, 105 Eden Street\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Barton-Seaver_cropped.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260727T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260727T181500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T162257Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T013008Z
UID:10000056-1785171600-1785176100@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:The American Story in Music and Culture
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes musician Rhiannon Giddens in conversation with Mariko Silver\, president & CEO of The Lincoln Center. \nRegister today \nAmerican music carries a rich and complex history\, one that is often incomplete\, misattributed\, or only partially told. In this conversation\, Giddens reflects on her work to recover and reinterpret the cultural roots of American music\, illuminating stories long overlooked and asking what it means to get that history right. Together\, Giddens and Silver explore the relationship between artist and institution\, how work is supported\, shaped\, and shared\, and what responsibility both have in telling a more accurate and inclusive story. They consider not only who appears on stage\, but how performance itself can evolve\, moving beyond passive consumption toward experiences that invite participation\, connection\, and transformation. \nDrawing on examples from Silkroad and Lincoln Center\, they examine how artists and institutions create the conditions for meaningful cultural exchange through space\, design\, and the resources that make such work possible\, including the opportunities and constraints that come with them. At a moment that calls for both urgency and imagination\, they reflect on what it means for artists to carry us forward\, and how this work of telling fuller\, more honest stories can help shape a more inclusive culture and society. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future. \n 
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/the-american-story-in-music-and-culture/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Rhiannon-Giddens_Mariko-Silver_coa.edu-calendar-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260728T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260728T104500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T162044Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T015937Z
UID:10000057-1785231000-1785235500@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Power\, Principle\, and the World Ahead
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Nicholas Kristof\, Pulitzer Prize-winning Op-Ed Columnist for The New York Times\, and Samantha Power\, former USAID Administrator and former UN Ambassador\, in conversation with Phil Lader\, former US Ambassador\, senior advisor to Morgan Stanley. \nRegister today \nWhat role does the United States play in the world today—and how is that role changing? Nicholas Kristof and Samantha Power draw on their experience in journalism and public service to examine the evolving nature of American leadership on the global stage. They reflect on the tensions that have long shaped US foreign policy: the balance between power and principle\, the gap between ideals and actions\, and the challenges of sustaining a coherent approach across changing administrations. Kristof brings a journalist’s perspective on accountability and the importance of bearing witness\, while Power draws on her experience in diplomacy to consider the possibilities and limits of international alliances and institutions. \nIn conversation with Phil Lader\, they explore whether the current moment signals a shift to a new global era\, what that era might demand\, and how the United States might navigate it. At stake is not only how America is perceived abroad\, but what it means to act as a force for stability\, partnership\, and shared purpose in an increasingly complex world. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/power-principle-and-the-world-ahead/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Nick-Kristof_Samantha-Power_coa.edu-calendar-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260728T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260728T171500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T161230Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T030706Z
UID:10000059-1785254400-1785258900@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:America at 250
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes filmmaker Ken Burns in conversation with Jeffrey Rosen\, CEO emeritus of the National Constitution Center. \nRegister today \nAs the United States approaches its 250th anniversary\, Ken Burns and Jeffrey Rosen reflect on the stories that have shaped the nation’s past and continue to define its present. Drawing on Burns’s latest documentary\, The American Revolution\, as well as his broader body of work\, they explore how pivotal moments in American history—from the founding era to more recent chapters—have revealed the country’s enduring tensions\, aspirations\, and contradictions. \nTogether\, they consider what these stories can teach us about who we are and how we have changed\, as well as what they ask of us now. Looking across a wide spectrum of American life\, from politics and war to culture\, landscape\, and identity\, they reflect on the values and challenges that have persisted over time. At a moment of reflection and possibility\, they explore how a deeper understanding of the past can help shape the next chapter of the American story. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/america-at-250/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-6.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T104500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T161130Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T015202Z
UID:10000060-1785317400-1785321900@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Reimagining Our Relationship with the Living World
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Robin Wall Kimmerer\, Potawatomi botanist and SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology\, in conversation with Ayana Elizabeth Johnson\, marine biologist and Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College. \nRegister today \nRobin Wall Kimmerer\, author of Braiding Sweetgrass\, has inspired millions through her integration of Indigenous knowledge and ecological science. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson\, marine biologist\, climate policy expert\, and author of What If We Get It Right? has emerged as a leading voice shaping the modern climate movement. Together they explore how science\, community engagement\, and storytelling can help reshape society’s relationship with the living world—and how principles such as reciprocity\, stewardship\, and collective action can guide a more sustainable future. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/reimagining-our-relationship-with-the-living-world/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ayana-Elizabeth-Johnson_Robin-Wall-Kimmerer-side-by-side.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T121500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T160901Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T001057Z
UID:10000061-1785322800-1785327300@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Our Planet\, Our Response
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Elizabeth Kolbert\, Pulitzer Prize-winning Science Writer & Journalist\, in conversation with Kourtney Collum\, College of the Atlantic provost\, dean of faculty\, and Partridge Chair of Food & Sustainable Agriculture Systems. \nRegister today \nFew writers have done more to document the scale and complexity of environmental change than Elizabeth Kolbert. Through her reporting and books\, including The Sixth Extinction\, she has chronicled the forces reshaping the natural world and the consequences of human activity across ecosystems. \nIn conversation with Kourtney Collum\, whose work explores the intersections of food systems\, power\, justice\, and sustainability\, Kolbert reflects on what it means to bear witness to these changes over time\, and how scientific understanding\, storytelling\, and public awareness intersect in shaping our response. Together\, they consider not only the scope of the challenges we face\, but the choices—individual\, institutional\, and collective—that will determine how we respond. \nGrounded in both evidence and lived systems\, they examine what it means to act in a moment defined by uncertainty\, urgency\, and responsibility\, and how a clearer understanding of the planet we inhabit can inform the choices we make in response. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/our-planet-our-response/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T181500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T160646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T014825Z
UID:10000062-1785344400-1785348900@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:From Participation to Power
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Stacey Abrams\, former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives and Founder of Fair Count\, and Jeanine Abrams McLean\, president of Fair Count\, in conversation with Frances Stead Sellers\, associate editor of The Washington Post. \nRegister today \nStacey Abrams has spent her career working to expand participation in American democracy—from her leadership in the Georgia House of Representatives to her historic campaign for governor\, and through her ongoing efforts to strengthen civic engagement nationwide. Alongside her sister\, Jeanine Abrams McLean\, she has helped build organizations like Fair Count to ensure that communities historically left out of the democratic process are seen\, heard\, and fully counted. Drawing on her background as a researcher\, Abrams McLean has played a central role in shaping Fair Count’s data-driven approach\, helping to identify undercounted communities and translate complex demographic insights into practical strategies for outreach and engagement. \nIn conversation with Frances Stead Sellers\, Abrams and McLean reflect on what it takes to move from participation to power\, and how sustained\, on-the-ground work can lead to lasting change in who is represented and how decisions are made. They also discuss Abrams’s recent 10 Steps initiative\, which offers a framework for understanding and responding to the forces that threaten democratic institutions. Together\, they consider how a more complete and accurate picture of who we are can help build a stronger\, more representative democracy. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/from-participation-to-power/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Abrams-sisters-side-by-side.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T104500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T160423Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T025846Z
UID:10000063-1785403800-1785408300@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:The Pursuit of Liberty
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Jeffrey Rosen\, CEO emeritus of the National Constitution Center. \nRegister today \nLongtime friend of the Summer Institute\, Jeffrey Rosen\, returns this year to offer a talk on his new book\, The Pursuit of Liberty. Exploring the enduring tension between Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian visions of American democracy\, Rosen considers how competing ideas about national power\, democracy\, the constitution\, and the role of government have shaped the nation’s history. \nLooking back across the founding era to today\, he offers insights into how these two visions have influenced the development of American political life for the past 250 years. He also looks ahead\, considering how this dynamic may continue to evolve and what it might mean for the future of the American experiment. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/the-pursuit-of-liberty/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Copy-of-Jeffrey_Rosen_Headshot.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T121500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T160256Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T025643Z
UID:10000064-1785409200-1785413700@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Service-First Leadership
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Emily Cherniack\, founder and executive director of New Politics. \nRegister today \nWhat does a background in service bring to political leadership—and to citizenship more broadly? Emily Cherniack draws on her work building New Politics and her experience in political organizing to explore how military and civilian service—from the armed forces to the Peace Corps—can shape more effective and grounded leaders. She reflects on why service has long been a pathway into public life\, what it offers in today’s political environment\, and how more candidates with this experience can be encouraged to step forward. More broadly\, the conversation considers how a culture of service can deepen civic engagement and strengthen the habits of citizenship on which democracy depends. At a moment that calls for renewed trust in institutions and one another\, it explores the role service-based leadership can play in moving us toward a more resilient and connected society. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/service-first-leadership/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/180806E-POLITICO-CHERNIACK-0915-F_1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260730T181500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T160147Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T014239Z
UID:10000065-1785430800-1785435300@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:The Fourth Estate
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Kara Swisher\, journalist and podcast host\, in conversation with Nicholas Thompson\, CEO of The Atlantic. \nRegister today \nThe institutions that once defined the Fourth Estate are undergoing rapid change. As technology reshapes how information is produced\, distributed\, and consumed\, questions of trust\, accountability\, and influence have become more urgent and more complex. Drawing on her work as host of the podcasts On with Kara Swisher and Pivot\, Swisher reflects on how journalism and media are evolving in an era defined by digital platforms\, fractured audiences\, and the rise of artificial intelligence. In conversation with Thompson\, she considers what has been lost\, what has been gained\, and how the role of the press is being redefined in real time. Together\, they explore what these changes mean for democratic life\, asking how a more open and decentralized media environment can still support shared understanding\, informed participation\, and meaningful accountability. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/the-fourth-estate/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Swisher_Thompson-side-by-side-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260731T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260731T104500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T160120Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T014543Z
UID:10000066-1785490200-1785494700@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:American Culture Is A Mess (And We Love It)
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Jia Tolentino\, staff writer at the New Yorker\, in conversation with A.O. Scott\, critic at large for The New York Times Book Review. \nRegister today \nAs two of the most incisive cultural critics writing today\, Tolentino and Scott have spent their careers examining how Americans make meaning through media\, art\, technology\, and everyday life. In a moment when culture can feel fragmented\, contested\, and constantly shifting\, they explore the idea that this disorder may be less a problem to solve than a condition to understand. \nTogether\, they consider whether a shared cultural center ever truly existed\, and what might be gained\, as well as lost\, in its absence. Rather than seeking tidy narratives\, they embrace the friction\, contradiction\, and multiplicity that shape American culture. They also look ahead\, asking how these forces might continue to evolve\, what new forms of cultural expression may emerge\, and what kind of shared understanding\, if any\, might still be possible. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/american-culture-is-a-mess-and-we-love-it/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Swisher_Thompson-side-by-side-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260731T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260731T121500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T160053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T023906Z
UID:10000067-1785495600-1785500100@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:A Full Court Press for Freedom
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes Enes Kanter Freedom\, NBA star and human rights activist\, in conversation with Nicholas Thompson\, CEO of The Atlantic. \nRegister today \nDuring his NBA career\, Enes Kanter Freedom became one of the most outspoken advocates for human rights in professional sports\, speaking out against authoritarian regimes and abuses in countries from Turkey to China. His activism ultimately came at significant personal and professional cost\, a story he recounts in his book\, In the Name of Freedom: A Political Dissident’s Fight for Human Rights in the NBA and Around the World. In conversation with Thompson\, journalist\, author of The Running Ground\, and accomplished endurance athlete\, Freedom reflects on the responsibilities of public figures to speak out on matters of principle. Together\, they explore how individuals\, both prominent and ordinary\, can act on their values even when the systems around them resist change. They also consider what it takes to sustain that commitment over time\, and how acts of courage—on and off the court—can help strengthen the foundations of a more just and free society. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/a-full-court-press-for-freedom/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260731T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260731T181500
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T155628Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T024243Z
UID:10000068-1785517200-1785521700@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:Philanthropy: A Catalyst for a More Perfect Union
DESCRIPTION:The 10th annual COA Summer Institute welcomes John Palfrey\, president & CEO of The MacArthur Foundation\, in conversation with Darron Collins ’92\, executive director of The Cromwell Harbor Foundation and former COA president. \nRegister today \nWhat is philanthropy uniquely positioned to do that no other part of society can? In this conversation\, Palfrey and Collins explore that question at a moment of profound change\, reflecting on the evolving role of philanthropy in American life\, what this moment asks of its leaders\, and how the philanthropic community can help shape what comes next. They consider how established institutions and emerging initiatives can learn from one another\, collaborate\, and play complementary roles\, while also examining how private giving intersects with public responsibility. As new challenges emerge—from artificial intelligence to climate change to the resilience of democratic institutions—they reflect on the growing importance of partnership across foundations\, communities\, institutions of higher education\, and the public sector. Drawing on examples that span national initiatives and local efforts\, including the role of community foundations\, they discuss how philanthropy can act not only as a source of support\, but as a catalyst for a more connected\, informed\, and resilient society. \nThe 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July\, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism\, the arts\, science\, philanthropy\, civic life\, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been\, and continue to be\, tested\, reshaped\, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded\, strengthened\, and carried into the future.
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/philanthropy-a-catalyst-for-a-more-perfect-union/
LOCATION:The North Lawn\, 105 Eden St\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260811T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260811T103000
DTSTAMP:20260516T132312
CREATED:20260511T235919Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T024533Z
UID:10000076-1786440600-1786444200@www.coa.edu
SUMMARY:The Foursome
DESCRIPTION:COA Coffee & Conversation welcomes New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline to discuss her new novel\, The Foursome\, with COA Board of Trustees Chair Cynthia Baker. Read more about The Foursome at Christina’s website.  \nRegister today \nThe Coffee & Conversation series features discussions between invited guests and College of the Atlantic faculty members\, trustees\, and friends. This summer\, you are invited to join conversations with authors\, scholars\, artists\, and thought leaders. The session are held every Tuesday morning from June 30 – September 1 at The Thomas J. Gates Center (Gates) on COA campus. Sessions are one hour long\, and include a Q&A session. Coffee and pastries are served prior to each session. \nThe Coffee & Conversation series is free and open to the public\, but pre-registration is required. Registration opens May 1 for Champlain Society members\, June 1 for the general public. \n 
URL:https://www.coa.edu/event/the-foursome/
LOCATION:Thomas S. Gates\, Jr. Community Center\, 105 Eden Street\, Bar Harbor\, ME\, 04609\, United States
CATEGORIES:Events at COA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.coa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-4.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR