Conserve School
Encyclopedia
Conserve School is a semester school
for environmentally and outdoor minded high school
students located in Land O' Lakes, Vilas County
, Wisconsin
, United States
. For about sixteen weeks students pursue a program of environmental studies
and outdoor activities that is designed to deepen their love of nature, reinforce their commitment to conservation, and equip them to take meaningful action as environmental stewards.
The program interweaves college-preparatory academics with:
Designed primarily for high school juniors, Conserve School incorporates the flexibility to accommodate seniors and advanced sophomores.
All students take the four core courses:
Students select their electives based on their individual needs. Math and Spanish electives focus on keeping students up-to-date in these sequential and skill-based subjects. Art electives allow students to explore their creativity. The Advanced Placement Environmental Science elective combines with the required environmental science class to give students a year's equivalent of AP Environmental Science.
Conserve School's teaching staff is augmented by a cohort of Field Instructors. The Field Instructors are all graduate fellows enrolled in a two year master of natural resources program through the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
.
and Sylvania Recreation Area and its additional 18327 acres (74.2 km²) of forests, lakes, and streams.
The Lowenstine Academic Building (or LAB) is the main campus building with a variety of classrooms, art & music spaces, a theater, dining room, library, and expansive indoor open area called the Gathering Space. The Lowenwood Recreation Center (or LRC) is the hub for athletic and outdoor activities with its gymnasium, fitness center, outdoor equipment room, locker rooms, and welcoming lounge. Students can check out a variety of equipment from the LRC to aid in their outdoor pursuits including bikes, boats, skis, snowshoes, and ice skates. Elaine House is home for the girls on campus and the boys live in Donahue House.
There are roughly 22 miles (35.4 km) of trails on Conserve School's grounds, which students use for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and skiing.
, use of snowshoes
, archery
, ice skating
, target practice, swimming, fishing
, boating
, camping
, sledding
, methods of survival in unexplored areas, and other outdoor activities.
From the fall of 2002 until the spring of 2010 Conserve School operated as a four-year college preparatory school. Due to financial concerns, the school switched to its current semester school
model in the fall of 2010. The decision to transition the school was legally challenged by a group of concerned parents, alumni, and community members, as well as by the Culver Educational Foundation.
On August 21, 2010 the first semester school semester began with 48 students from 12 different states.
in northern Indiana. The suit alleged a breach of fiduciary duties on the part of Conserve School's trustees, claiming the construction and continued operation of Conserve School was financially unsustainable. Culver stood to inherit nearly all of the trust assets should the operation of Conserve School be declared financially impractical. On May 25, 2007, at the request of Culver, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, with all parties to bear their own costs and attorney's fees.
In response to the Conserve School Trustee's decision announced in January of 2009 to transition to a semester school, a group of parents and alumni filed a lawsuit to preserve the four year program The case was filed in Vilas County Circuit Court on February 20, 2009. On April 7 the Culver Educational Foundation joined the lawsuit against Conserve School. On April 14, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen asked the Vilas County Circuit Court for permission to intervene in the lawsuit. On June 8 the Vilas County Circuit Court upheld the Conserve School Trustees’ right to transition to a semester school and denied the Wisconsin Attorney General's request to intervene. The Culver Educational Foundation appealed the ruling to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. On November 16, 2010 the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for District III affirmed the ruling by the Vilas County Circuit Court. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision concludes with the statement, “Although the trustees’ new program is a significant departure from the way the school previously operated, it does not reflect a finding of legal impossibility or impracticality. To the contrary, it reflects the trustees’ desire to operate the school in a manner best suited to current economic realities within the boundaries of the trust instrument.”
Semester school
Semester school is a term used to describe a school that complements a student’s secondary education by providing them with the opportunity to step out of their regular school for half an academic year and step into a uniquely different educational setting while continuing their required academic...
for environmentally and outdoor minded high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students located in Land O' Lakes, Vilas County
Vilas County, Wisconsin
Vilas County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 21,033. Its county seat is Eagle River.-Settlement:Vilas County was set off from Oneida County on April 12, 1893 and named for William Freeman Vilas...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. For about sixteen weeks students pursue a program of environmental studies
Environmental studies
Environmental studies is the academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. It is a broad interdisciplinary field of study that includes the natural environment, built environment, and the sets of relationships between them...
and outdoor activities that is designed to deepen their love of nature, reinforce their commitment to conservation, and equip them to take meaningful action as environmental stewards.
The program interweaves college-preparatory academics with:
- the study of environmental history, nature literature, and the science of conservation,
- environmental service work,
- exploration of careers related to conservation,
- training in teamwork and leadership, and
- engagement with the outdoors.
Designed primarily for high school juniors, Conserve School incorporates the flexibility to accommodate seniors and advanced sophomores.
Academics
The Conserve School academic program is made up of two types of courses, Core Courses and Electives.All students take the four core courses:
- Environmental Science: Applied Ecology and Sustainable Systems
- English: Wilderness Voices, American Literature and the Land
- History: The History of Wilderness Exploration: the Northwoods and Beyond
- Physical Education: Pack, Pedal, and Paddle: Outdoor Skills and Activities
Students select their electives based on their individual needs. Math and Spanish electives focus on keeping students up-to-date in these sequential and skill-based subjects. Art electives allow students to explore their creativity. The Advanced Placement Environmental Science elective combines with the required environmental science class to give students a year's equivalent of AP Environmental Science.
Faculty and staff
All seven members of Conserve School's teaching staff are passionate about education, experts in their fields, and hold advanced degrees. Most importantly they enjoy collaborating with young people.Conserve School's teaching staff is augmented by a cohort of Field Instructors. The Field Instructors are all graduate fellows enrolled in a two year master of natural resources program through the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point is a public university located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin...
.
Lowenwood
Conserve School's 1200 acres (4.9 km²) campus was named Lowenwood by Conserve School's founder, James Lowenstine. The campus has access to eight lakes (of which four are completely enclosed by school property). The campus is adjacent to the Sylvania WildernessSylvania Wilderness
Sylvania Wilderness is an protected area located a few miles west of Watersmeet, Michigan. Sylvania is located entirely within the bounds of the Ottawa National Forest, and is currently being managed as a wilderness area as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System by the U.S. Forest...
and Sylvania Recreation Area and its additional 18327 acres (74.2 km²) of forests, lakes, and streams.
The Lowenstine Academic Building (or LAB) is the main campus building with a variety of classrooms, art & music spaces, a theater, dining room, library, and expansive indoor open area called the Gathering Space. The Lowenwood Recreation Center (or LRC) is the hub for athletic and outdoor activities with its gymnasium, fitness center, outdoor equipment room, locker rooms, and welcoming lounge. Students can check out a variety of equipment from the LRC to aid in their outdoor pursuits including bikes, boats, skis, snowshoes, and ice skates. Elaine House is home for the girls on campus and the boys live in Donahue House.
There are roughly 22 miles (35.4 km) of trails on Conserve School's grounds, which students use for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and skiing.
History
With the passing of James Lowenstine in 1996, the building of his dream, a school to inspire conservation minded environmental stewards, began. Following the directions Mr. Lowenstine left in the Conserve School Trust the Conserve School Board of Trustees began the initial planning for Conserve School. Mr. Lowenstine directed the Trustees to create a school with a curriculum that would include: instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and nature study. The nature study was to include a focus on the ecology of unspoiled forest and lake areas such as Conserve School’s Lowenwood campus. In addition the school should include instruction in outdoor sports including skiingSkiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, use of snowshoes
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
, archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
, target practice, swimming, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, sledding
Sledding
Sledding , sledging , sleding or tobogganing is a common activity in wintry areas, similar to sliding, but in a prone or seated position requiring a device or vehicle generically known in the US as a sled or in other countries as a sledge or toboggan...
, methods of survival in unexplored areas, and other outdoor activities.
From the fall of 2002 until the spring of 2010 Conserve School operated as a four-year college preparatory school. Due to financial concerns, the school switched to its current semester school
Semester school
Semester school is a term used to describe a school that complements a student’s secondary education by providing them with the opportunity to step out of their regular school for half an academic year and step into a uniquely different educational setting while continuing their required academic...
model in the fall of 2010. The decision to transition the school was legally challenged by a group of concerned parents, alumni, and community members, as well as by the Culver Educational Foundation.
On August 21, 2010 the first semester school semester began with 48 students from 12 different states.
Legal challenges
On November 14, 2005, a lawsuit was filed against Conserve School by the Culver Educational Foundation, parent of Culver AcademiesCulver Academies
The Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school and summer camp in the United States. The Culver Academies is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy for boys, Culver Girls Academy , and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps . Collectively known as Culver Academies located...
in northern Indiana. The suit alleged a breach of fiduciary duties on the part of Conserve School's trustees, claiming the construction and continued operation of Conserve School was financially unsustainable. Culver stood to inherit nearly all of the trust assets should the operation of Conserve School be declared financially impractical. On May 25, 2007, at the request of Culver, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, with all parties to bear their own costs and attorney's fees.
In response to the Conserve School Trustee's decision announced in January of 2009 to transition to a semester school, a group of parents and alumni filed a lawsuit to preserve the four year program The case was filed in Vilas County Circuit Court on February 20, 2009. On April 7 the Culver Educational Foundation joined the lawsuit against Conserve School. On April 14, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen asked the Vilas County Circuit Court for permission to intervene in the lawsuit. On June 8 the Vilas County Circuit Court upheld the Conserve School Trustees’ right to transition to a semester school and denied the Wisconsin Attorney General's request to intervene. The Culver Educational Foundation appealed the ruling to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. On November 16, 2010 the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for District III affirmed the ruling by the Vilas County Circuit Court. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision concludes with the statement, “Although the trustees’ new program is a significant departure from the way the school previously operated, it does not reflect a finding of legal impossibility or impracticality. To the contrary, it reflects the trustees’ desire to operate the school in a manner best suited to current economic realities within the boundaries of the trust instrument.”
See also
- Chewonki Semester SchoolMaine Coast SemesterChewonki Semester School formerly known as Maine Coast Semester, founded in 1988, is a semester-long, environmental education program for high school juniors run by the Chewonki Foundation and located in Wiscasset, Maine. The founding director was S. Scott Andrews, who currently teaches history...
- HMI SemesterRocky mountain semesterThe Rocky Mountain Semester welcomed its first class in 1998 with Molly and Christopher Barnes as its first directors. The program name changed in 2011 to term itself HMI Semester. The semester takes place on the High Mountain Institute campus in Leadville, CO...
- The Mountain SchoolThe Mountain SchoolThe Mountain School of Milton Academy is a selective independent semester program that provides academically motivated high school juniors from across the country the opportunity to live and work on an organic farm in rural Vermont. Located in Vershire, Vermont, The Mountain School was originally...
- Oxbow SchoolOxbow SchoolThe Oxbow School is a private single semester arts school for high school juniors and seniors located in Napa, California, sitting near an oxbow of the Napa River...
- School for Ethics and Global LeadershipSchool for Ethics and Global LeadershipLocated in Washington, DC, The School for Ethics and Global Leadership is a selective, semester-long residential program for intellectually motivated high school juniors from across the United States...
- Woolman SemesterWoolman SemesterThe is a semester school focused on the intersections of peace, social justice, and sustainability. Students come from all over the country to attend Woolman for a single semester during their high school junior, senior, or gap year...