Penikese Island School, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization
Student Day Trips to Penikese Island
Nature-based Environmental Education
Penikese Day Trips are more than just a “field trip.” Natural and historic wonders abound on Penikese Island, which is a peaceful, unspoiled setting, far removed from modern distractions, where learning and discovery can be nurtured. The curriculum for any Penikese trip is customizable for each school. We support science-focused and nature-based educational themes in particular, but we have also hosted art classes and a series of trips featuring a literature and social studies curriculum based on the young adult novel, Beyond the Bright Sea (addressing the history of the leper colony on Penikese).
“I was sold from the moment I was told of Penikese's history as a
science laboratory, school for young men, and bird sanctuary.
Penikese Island is a place of exceptional beauty, mystery, and peace.
Large enough to get lost on, but small enough to have a sense of the whole,
Penikese is a point of sacred geography. Taking a group of fifteen high school kids
to this island was one of the best and most impactful experiences I have had as an educator. It was great to see how the kids flourished in this unstructured environment away from technology and normal social roles. It also provided a truly unique opportunity
for me to connect with students and colleagues.”
–Middle School Teacher from Sturgis Charter School, Hyannis
Sample Day Trip Itinerary
9:00 am
Depart Woods Hole dock (at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
10:00 am
Arrive at Penikese; split into two groups that alternate morning activities
10:15 am
Island tour (cemetery, leper ruins, cistern hill)
11:15 am
Beachcombing activity; collecting (and learning about) plastic trash, found animals and shells, observing tides and discussing their physics
12:00 pm
Break for lunch and unstructured discovery time
12:30 pm
Examine found items with dissecting scopes, discuss biological niches & climate change impact; or biological illustration exercise: how does a drawing inform differently from a photograph? Make sketches and photos of items collected (or of those from the island collection)
1:30 pm
Return to boat; depart for Woods Hole
2:30 pm
Arrive in Woods Hole. Board buses for trip back to school.
Support Your Local School's Trip to Penikese Island
