Fall 2024/25 Theme: Climate & Art

Our program is designed around a central theme, and for the 2024/2025 semester, our focus is on Climate. Through the lenses of art, science, and experiential education, students will explore this critical issue and its impact on our world. This semester will feature internationally recognized scientists from the Hakai Institute and Mother Tree Network; we will work with performance, graffiti, and sound artists; climate leaders and authors; and numerous Cortes-based social profits, as well as our dynamic team of teachers, local workshop leaders, and facilitators.

Students in grades 10 – 12 from on and off Cortes are welcome and can receive 24 credits through the following courses: Socials, Art, English, Science, Outdoor Ed, Leadership and Career Education. 

Student Work 24/25

This year, students at Cortes Island Academy came together to create an anthology titled Growing Up in the Anthropocene. This collection is a powerful culmination of their learning, creativity, and personal reflections, exploring what it means to come of age in a world fundamentally reshaped by human activity.

“Each contribution is a glimpse of what it means to grow up in a world where the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and social upheaval are as relevant and present in our lives as the friends we text or the homework we procrastinate about. But these works are not just a catalogue of concerns; they are also stories of resilience, creativity, and hope.”

– An excerpt from the editors introduction by Jasmine and Devin

From what is to what if? A Vision of 2040

Students presented their projects at our annual year-end showcase. This year, we invited guests to step into a time portal and imagine life on Cortes Island in the year 2040. Through performances, art, writing, and interactive displays, students brought their visions of the future to life, sparking conversation and inspiration.

We were thrilled by the incredible turnout and deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to making this event possible. Thank you to all who attended and supported our students in sharing their creativity and ideas!

Will you dream with us?

Before stepping into the time portal, guests were invited to dream with us— by dipping their hands in wild clay and leaving their handprints on a the wall. As the evening unfolded, this collective creation took shape, revealing the question: Where do you find hope?

Throughout the night, performances wove through the event, ranging from poetry and performance art to a Council of All Beings, an exercise in deep ecology. Students explored the theme “From what is to what if?” through their work, challenging us to reimagine the future and our place within it.

CIA Showcase is in the news

SD72 representatives Geoff, Stephen, and Janice joined us for the event! Check out this article posted on the SD72 website.

On Cortes Currents- A poetic response & information about the event.