Words of students, alumni, parents and educators describe Maine Coast Semester well. If you would like to share your own reflections on MCS, please contact us.
Alumni
“Although I had always been intellectually curious, the Maine Coast Semester helped me focus and communicate that curiosity in a community of learners. I credit Chewonki [with] putting me on the academic journey that I have pursued in the 16 years since I first set foot on the Chewonki Neck.”
“MCS was the most formative aspect of my academic career.”
“I look back on the last 10 years and MCS was the start of a truly amazing journey, inspiring me to explore paths and make decisions that have affected every part of who I am today.”
“MCS was one of the best experiences of my young life. I marvel at how appropriate the program was for my exact needs at that time. It was the first time that I stepped outside the box and realized that I had the power to create my own life and self - it was when I began to feel like the adult that I am now. It was a safe space to experiment with adulthood and adult choices.”
“I can say in complete honesty that MCS changed my life...I felt like my time was well spent, and that I had more purpose. The people, both students and teachers… were beyond amazing. It was the first time in a while that I truly felt like I was part of a community.”
Parents
“You take amazingly good care of these young people, in physical, intellectual and spiritual ways. And, as a result, they respond positively to this gift of time, talent, and energy. It’s short and intense and the students seem to thrive in the midst of it.”
"I wanted to take a moment to extend my thanks and appreciation to you and the staff for providing my daughter such a fulfilling semester. There is no doubt that it was even more rewarding than she (or I) could have hoped. The fact that unexpected challenges arose only cemented the fact that MCS is, indeed, a special place.
"She was stretched, allowed to take risks and to do so with such support. She is certainly the better for the experience and now returns with confidence and an increased self-reliance."
Educators
"I listened to a very inspiring talk by a guy named Patrick Guerrero, an incredibly thoughtful political activist, and leading member of the Log Cabin Republican group. He is tremendously thoughtful and reasonable. His discussion of the impending environmental traumas made me think of how important MCS is to the American educational world. Although MCS is only educating 80 or so kids per year, MCS is raising the consciousness of those kids about environmental issues in a way that is absolutely essential to our society. As Patrick asserted eloquently, it is going to be my children and yours who will be forced to figure out solutions to the huge environmental problems that the current US adult population is failing to address in a meaningful way. Getting kids to internalize the depth of the problem and getting kids to think about ways they can make a difference, as you do at MCS, is tremendously important to our present and to our future. So, three cheers for the work you are doing!"
John Warren, Head of School, St. Mark's School, Boston, Massachusetts
