Over 75 students traveled. They went to China, Belize, London, Washington D.C., New Orleans, and the Florida Keys. They rode planes, trains, subways, and bikes. Some were on service work adventures repairing buildings and gathering hundreds and hundreds of pounds of trash. They all walked miles and miles… and miles. Students who stayed in town traveled too. They connected and learned about what it means to run a Windham County company. Some spent time exploring the state, having culinary adventures, and learning to bake scones in a cooking class at King Arthur Flour. Other students experienced a different New England adventure every day; those students threw axes, swam at the Great Wolf Lodge, went to the Boston Aquarium and the Fun Hub in Hadley, Mass. Other students successfully escaped from escape rooms, created sets for and performed a murder mystery. Some visited semi-local cafeterias and proposed ways to create a fresh space of our own. Other students wrote, filmed, and edited a short film. Some of our students traveled to a recording studio and movie theater and a live music venue to learn about the tech and sound involved in producing events. Others cut down trees right in our own backyard, and they got certified in chainsaw safety.
These intensive adventures could not have taken place without the unending support of our local taxpayers, decisions made by our school board members, and our central office. Thank you.
There were some heavy lifters, without whose help, Intensives would not have happened. I cannot thank you enough for the unending support you have given:
At the very top of that list is Lindsey Cote-Abel of West River Transportation. Lindsey’s willingness and ability to schedule (and tweak at the last minute) ALL OF THE TRANSPORTATION needed for our field work, and I mean EVERY SINGLE TRIP TAKEN, and the enlisting of our amazing bus drivers made it all happen seamlessly.
The dedication and willingness of Andrew Davis of WCSU’s central office, who was on call at all times, making himself available to help with any purchasing or financial hurdles experienced before, during, and after our Intensive week, made everything run smoothly. His support was priceless.
The superhero abilities of Bridget Corby, who purchased any and all things needed to make Intensives happen… the flights, the train rides, the subway tickets, the supplies, the escape rooms, the museum visits, and literally all the adventures and costs incurred. She was the behind the scenes queen of Intensives who is still rectifying the expenses!
The generous benefactors… The Stratton Foundation, the anonymous donors, and people like you who donated to all the students’ fundraising efforts. Thank you.
The entire faculty and staff at Leland and Gray worked tirelessly to plan and execute these amazing experiences for our students. They traveled with and some bunked with our students - taking them to places they had never been. Not a small endeavor!
