Last summer marked the inaugural Rabbit Island School for a group of eight high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. (Imagine NOLS + art camp + Rabbit Island). This past Tuesday the 2015 Rabbit Island School kicked off and tonight the gang is sleeping out under the stars in the midst of Lake Superior for their third night in a row. In celebration we’re highlighting some of the artwork and daily journals created by last year’s participants.  

Eight students–all young women, coincidentally–will be spending August 12-19th on the island learning about art and ecology. They will be practicing simple living, low impact camping and Leave No Trace ethics under the guidance of trip leaders David Buth and Christina Mrozik. All of the students hail from southwestern Michigan with the exception of one who attends Calumet High, a local mainland school. Go Copper Kings!

More details about the Rabbit Island School can be found on its official website here. If you know any students who would be interested in applying next year please pass this along and if you are a high school student please do get in touch. The program is open to anyone nationally and internationally. 

*** This year’s Rabbit Island School was supported by the KEEN Footwear Company which generously awarded the Rabbit Island Foundation a KEEN Effect grant. These grants were designed to support projects that fuel people’s passion for protecting the environment and promoting responsible outdoor participation. The KEEN Effect program received more than 600 applications and awarded 25 organizations globally with grants totaling $100,000. It was an honor to receive one. KEEN also donated a pair of island-appropriate shoes to each student for the trip. Many thanks to KEEN for helping make this possible.