Conserve School was a

semester school A semester school is 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 continui ...

for environmentally and outdoor minded

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

students located in Land O' Lakes,

Vilas County Vilas County is a county in the state of Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,047. Its county seat is Eagle River. The county partly overlaps the reservation of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippe ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States. For seventeen weeks students pursue a program of environmental studies and outdoor activities that are 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 Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

, * training in teamwork and leadership, and * engagement with the outdoors. Designed primarily for high school juniors, Conserve School incorporates the flexibility to accommodate 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: * English: Wilderness Voices, American Literature and the Land * History: Environmental Citizenship * Outdoor Skills *

Advanced Placement Environmental Science Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science (also known as APES, AP Enviro, AP Environmental, AP Environment, or AP EnviroSci) is a course and exam offered by the American College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program Advanced ...

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. Students can choose from the electives Nature Photography or Earth Art.

Faculty and staff

All members of Conserve School's teaching staff are passionate about education, and experts in their fields. Most importantly they enjoy collaborating with young people. Conserve School's teaching staff is augmented by a cohort of Teaching Fellows. Teaching Fellows are typically individuals interested in exploring a career working with young adults. They gain experience planning and teaching alongside Conserve School's teaching and residential life staff.

Accreditation

Conserve School is accredited by two internationally known accreditation agencies. Conserve School's academic program is accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), an accreditation division of AdvancED. Conserve School has achieved American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation to support the school's outdoor and residential life programming.

Lowenwood

Conserve School's 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 Wilderness and Sylvania Recreation Area and its additional 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. There are five housing units along the Student Path, each containing four wings of suite-style dormitories, as well as 4 apartment sections reserved for staff. Each wing is equipped with a kitchenette ready for minimal culinary activities. Each housing unit is named after a piece of Lowenwood's history, including James, Elaine, Daisy, and Mandell, all of which relate to the founding fathers and mothers of Conserve School, as well as Donahue, a prevailing logging company in the north woods. There are roughly of trails on Conserve School's grounds, which students use for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and skiing.

Awards/Recognition

2014 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Awardee - in recognition of exemplary efforts in reducing environmental impact and utility costs, promoting better health for students and staff, and offering effective environmental education, including civics, STEM and green career pathways. 2014 Conserve School Named Green & Healthy Schools Wisconsin "Sugar Maple" certification. 2012 Earthguard Award, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education - for student leadership in developing and conducting outstanding environmental action projects. 2003-2010 Wisconsin State Envirothon Championships - 1st place 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007; 2nd place 2008, 2009, 2010. 2004 - Named an Audubon International Certified Signature Sanctuary. Audubon International recognizes program members that demonstrate their commitment to environmental quality by meeting required standards for protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and providing wildlife habitats.

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

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

, use of

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

s, archery,

ice skating Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...

, target practice,

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, boating,

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more na ...

sledding Sledding, sledging or sleighing is a winter sport typically carried out in a prone or seated position on a vehicle generically known as a sled (North American), a sledge (British), or a sleigh. It is the basis of three Olympic sports: luge, sk ...

, 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

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. The final semester of Conserve School finished in June 2020 following the relinquishment to the Culver Academy.

Legal challenges

On November 14, 2005, a lawsuit was filed against Conserve School by the Culver Educational Foundation, parent of Culver Academies 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 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.”

References

External links

* {{Coord, 46.173712, -89.302376, region:US_type:edu, display=title Semester schools Buildings and structures in Vilas County, Wisconsin Private schools in Wisconsin Boarding schools in Wisconsin Educational institutions established in 2002 Education in Vilas County, Wisconsin Environmental education in the United States 2002 establishments in Wisconsin Outdoor education organizations