Academics
All classes are taught at advanced levels and can be considered honors courses. There are two core subjects students must take at Chewonki: English and Natural History of the Maine coast. There are two different English courses that can fulfill the English requirement: Literature and the Land and Ethics: Understanding and Choice. Natural History of the Maine Coast also includes a once-a-week field trip to various sites near the school and on campus. Three other classes must be taken by Chewonki students, and everyone gets a free period. Chewonki offers several different math courses including Algebra 2, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus AB and BC.
Languages are also offered at Chewonki Semester School. There are various French and Spanish classes ranging from roughly year 3 of learning to an AP equivalent. A few different social studies courses are available. Environmental Issues and Ethics, which involves two in-depth studies, one into a current issue in Maine and one as an Independent Research Project, Current Issues, which deals with contemporary world issues, and US History are all options for students. Art and the Natural World is also offered at Chewonki.
In addition to these courses, Work Program is assigned to all students twice a week. Tasks in this include anything from planting seedlings at the Salt Marsh Farm to making mozzarella cheese in the kitchen for dinner. This lasts for roughly two hours.
Academics are taken very seriously at Chewonki. Study hours are from 7:30-9:30 p.m. every day except for Saturday, and students are expected to do their work during this time, though extra time is often required to complete all assignments. Students are given a specific study space in which to do their work. It is not necessary to possess a computer at Chewonki, though most students do.
Read more about this topic: Maine Coast Semester
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“Almost all scholarly research carries practical and political implications. Better that we should spell these out ourselves than leave that task to people with a vested interest in stressing only some of the implications and falsifying others. The idea that academics should remain “above the fray” only gives ideologues license to misuse our work.”
—Stephanie Coontz (b. 1944)
“Our first line of defense in raising children with values is modeling good behavior ourselves. This is critical. How will our kids learn tolerance for others if our hearts are filled with hate? Learn compassion if we are indifferent? Perceive academics as important if soccer practice is a higher priority than homework?”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)