The Island School is a mind, body, and spirit journey that takes students away from traditional high school curriculum and invites them to confront authentic challenges. Classes are designed to allow first-hand engagement with the people and environment of The Bahamas. Since 2004, The Island School at Cape Eleuthera in the Bahamas has partnered with Princess Cruises to make its own fuel to power vans, trucks, back-up generators, and boats.
“It is a great partnership that allows Princess to donate a much needed resource to us and help a community in which they operate, and allows us to run a greener vehicle fleet,” Geoff Walton, Facilities Director at The Island School told The Eleutheran.
In order to produce the fuel, they need to collect waste cooking oil that can be converted into bio-diesel. The Island School has partnered with Princess Cruise Lines over the past eight years to help collect that oil. Through an agreement between Princess Cruises, Princess Cays, and The Island School, waste oil from the Emerald, Ruby, Crown, Grand, and Star Princess ships is donated and processed into bio-diesel fuel.
In January, Occupational Safety & Environmental Officer for the Ruby Princess, Krasimir Kuley, along with other crew members from the ship visited the bio-diesel production facility at The Island School to see how the waste oil is used. Marco Watson of The Island School produces thousands of gallons of fuel each year from oil that would have otherwise been dumped or burned.
In 2011 alone, Princess Cays collected and donated 7,122 gallons of waste cooking oil from ships making ports of call there. This translates into more than 65 tonnes of carbon dioxide being offset by burning biodiesel in engines rather than standard diesel fuel. For 2012, there are hopes of even more cooking oil that can be turned into fuel being collected and even more carbon dioxide being offset, as the partnership continues.
At the Island School, English, math, environmental art, history, applied scientific research, human ecology, and marine ecology are offered and each course focuses on the application of knowledge to real-world problems. SCUBA diving, island exploration, and two kayaking expeditions complement daily morning exercise and campus work that encourages each student to develop leadership and teamwork skills.
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