Students from Coastal Studies for Girls (CSG) in Freeport visited and volunteered at the Juniper Hill School in Alna on October 25.

Coastal Studies for Girls is a semester school for high school sophomore girls specializing in leadership and marine science education. The educational philosophy of Coastal Studies for Girls parallels that of Juniper Hill School, an independent, place-based school for pre-kindergarten to third grade students that emphasizes connection to the environment and community.

This was the first time that the two schools have collaborated, and it proved to be beneficial to both groups of students.

The CSG students spent the morning leading fun and interactive marine science lessons with the Juniper Hill Roots and Sprouts (1st-3rd grade) classes. A highlight for everyone was a fun outdoor game designed by the CSG students to explain the concept of food chains in the ocean. CSG students also lead the Roots and Sprouts children in a nature art activity in which they created their favorite marine animal from found rocks, sticks and leaves in the Porcupine Woods, one of Juniper Hill’s outdoor classrooms.

During lunch, the Juniper Hill School students and staff taught the CSG students several of their ecology-based songs led by the music teacher Annie Nixon. The sound of many voices, including parents, students and staff, was truly a delight. After lunch, the CSG students pitched in to help the Juniper Hill School with their weekly community work projects. With the efforts of both schools, a skirt was installed on one of Juniper Hill’s yurt classrooms in order to retain more heat during the winter months.

The CSG students also worked with several of the younger Juniper Hill students to paint signs for the variety of outdoor classrooms at Juniper Hill. Another group of students helped clear brush in the outdoor classrooms.

The CSG students were impressed by the curiosity and enthusiasm of the Juniper Hill students and enjoyed the opportunity to test out their teaching skills. The project with Juniper Hill was the final project in CSG’s service week. During service week, CSG girls complete over 20 hours of community service with a variety of organizations in Midcoast Maine. Service week has a lasting impact on the students; many vowed to continue service and volunteering in their own communities when they return home after their semester at CSG.