Deep Creek Middle School

The Deep Creek Middle School is an independent middle school and community resource center located in the settlement of Deep Creek on the island of Eleuthera, The Bahamas. It is recognized by the Ministry of Education and teaches the national curriculum to local students, grades 7-9. DCMS teaches principles of leadership, citizenship and community service through methods grounded in place and experiential-based education. The school receives funding from private donors, including The Cape Eleuthera Foundation, a non-profit organization, that supports educational and research programming in The Bahamas.VisionDCMS focuses on academic growth, leadership, and responsible citizenship through innovative education. They approach the Bahamian National Curriculum through place and experiential-based learning strategies that engage their students in local, national, and global issues.PedagogyIn order to reach these aims, curriculum is experiential and uses a combination of middle school appropriate pedagogy with place and problem-based learning. Highlights include an interdisciplinary place-based curriculum, frequent field trips, guest speakers, service learning classes and the integration of social and environmental issues throughout the curriculum.Classroom without WallsIn the months of January and February, for a six-week period, each grade tackles a unique and pertinent issue confronting the surrounding community. This issue is explored in different core classes and through full-day fieldtrips once a week. Topics schedule for 2012 included: Grade 7 – an eco-system comparison of Jack’s Bay and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park Grade 8 – understanding the problems of plastic waste in The Bahamas Grade 9 – youth activism and using Web 2.0 technology for local change