There was a lot of buzz in the one– and two–room island schools this spring about the future of the Outer Islands Teaching and Learning Collaborative (TLC). The TLC is a long-standing, teacher-created collaboration among seven of Maine’s smaller island schools that forms a lifeline of support for teachers, students, and families. For the past several years, the TLC has been an Island Institute program, and in May, at the TLC’s 15-year celebration at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport, it was formally announced the TLC would be transitioning from Island Institute to the Mission. The response from the crowd that night was very enthusiastic, and there has been a similar sentiment (if not quite as loud) in the many conversations I have had with teachers, students, parents, community members, and partner organizations since the announcement.
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The two things I hear over and over are: gratitude to the Mission for wanting the TLC and the understanding that there is a great fit between the program and the organization. It makes sense and is mutually beneficial to the TLC and the Mission and most importantly, to the island schools and communities.
I am a proud member of the TLC community as I led the program at Island Institute for the past 10 years and I am thrilled to be sticking with it by joining the Mission to continue this work. With 30+ years of experience in island education, I can confidently say the TLC is the most important and impactful education program I have ever been part of. Each component of the TLC helps to enhance learning and combat isolation in these one- and two-room schools. We do this by enabling essential relationships to grow across the islands, which aligns beautifully with the Mission’s broader work to help islanders strengthen their sense of belonging.
When I’m asked to explain what the TLC is, I describe the multiple touch points we have each week: teacher meetings on Zoom, virtual book groups and morning exercises for students, and the online parties for holidays such as Halloween and Valentine’s Day. These activities keep us connected during the long winter months, but the most important TLC activities by far are the three in-person events we have each year, two in the fall and one in the spring. During these field trips, students, teachers, and families come together to learn, grow, and connect with each other—and we have a lot of fun in the process!
The TLC is much more than the sum of its parts, and the Mission recognizes that the TLC is a vital program for the outer islands. Our intention is to maintain the consistency the TLC provides so that these tiny schools continue to survive and thrive with a sense of connection and support. As one TLC teacher recently summed it up, “The TLC provides amazing connections for island students and families through the schools and important collaboration and touchpoints for island teachers.” Thankfully, that is not going to change, and the TLC community is excited to head into the future in the Mission’s very good hands.
Yvonne (bottom left hand side) is pictured with island teachers and Director of Island Services Douglas Cornman.