Eagle i: Plans for charter high school expand

MARCO ISLAND — Parents working to open a charter high school on Marco Island in fall 2011 will hold a public meeting 7 p.m., Wednesday, at the Marco Island Charter Middle School. Marco Island Discovery Center, Inc., a Florida non-profit corporation established by four women, will be introduced to the public.

Lynne Irvine, president; Jane Watt, vice president, Gina Bennedetta, Esq., secretary; and Tara Hagan, treasurer, are the founders.

Non-profit board members Watt, Hagan, and Irvine will explain the Discovery Center’s visionary concept as a three-way partnership between the Marco Island Academy, a proposed 9th through 12th grade public charter high school; the Marco Island Discovery Center, an inter-generational community arts and science center; and The Marco Island Discovery Camp, a summer eco-adventure camp for students, families, and teachers.

The synergy of purpose between the three partners includes: 1. The creation of a model for sustainable, green design; 2. The creation of an integrated, hands-on learning environment, and 3. The promotion of authentic outdoor experiences to promote an attitude of stewardship for Marco Island, the Ten Thousand Island Region, and the planet.

The Marco Island Discovery Center shares the United Nations World Commission on the Environment’s vision of sustainable development to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The Discovery Center’s mission is “to forge new partnerships to create a culture of exploration, innovation, expression, compassion, diversity, and excellence, which serves as a catalyst for sustainable living through inter-generational, community-based discovery learning, to promote a healthy community and planet.”

An international advisory board has been established to help the Marco Island Discovery Center board incorporate state-of-the-art sustainable technologies, and research-based educational principles in the design and operation of the center. The advisory board includes artists, scientists, sustainable designers and technologists, and educators from around the globe. Discovery Center board members Irvine, Watt, and Hagan will meet with advisory board member, Architect John Szerdi at the Living Designs Group’s Eco Center in Lake Worth, Florida on Monday.