School Year Connections
School Year Connections
We partner with Boston Public Schools to help close the opportunity and achievement gaps by bringing students to Cathleen Stone Island every year throughout middle school. Program length ranges from one to three days with each student visiting Cathleen Stone Island two times per year throughout their middle school education. The programs are complemented by pre and post classroom lessons that prepare students for learning and “living” on the island. By exposing students to unique experiences and a new environment outside their comfort zone, Cathleen Stone Island Outward Bound ignites curiosity and allows students to push past their preconceived ideas of what they can achieve.
Guided by experienced instructors and supported by their teachers, students explore Cathleen Stone Island’s wide variety of ecosystems, from the tide pools to the forests. During hands-on outdoor STEM lessons, kids explore, investigate, and develop their ideas as scientists, fostering a sense of their own capabilities. Small group sizes allow students to build meaningful connections with their classmates and make it possible for instructors to provide support to students when they need it.
The structure of School Year Connections is meant to extend beyond Cathleen Stone Island; our Course Directors (CDs) will be embedded in partner schools to fully engage with the students, teachers and families. This allows us to build stronger relationships with schools and expands our ability to deepen social emotional impact. Our school presence helps us understand classroom challenges and opportunities; sparks collaborative planning and problem solving; builds capacity for teachers, classrooms and students; and improves student and family relationships.
Teachers and administrators interested in partnership information are encouraged to fill out a request information form.
“I like that the students get to build their leadership skills...Kids that don't really speak up in the classroom get a chance to speak up here."
—Ivette Rubio, 6th Grade Math/Science Teacher, Neighborhood House Charter School
School Year Connections Partner Schools
Franklin D. Roosevelt K-8 School
Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School
Martin Luther King Junior K-8 School
Neighborhood House Charter School K-10
