Six islanders win McLane scholarships

On Dec. 15, six island residents were awarded non-traditional scholarships through the Island Institute's Fund for Maine Island Education: A Memorial to Carol Evarts McLane.

Islesboro student Hannah Kerr is preparing for a voyage through the Ocean Classroom Foundation's Semester at Sea Program. Her travels will take her to the Caribbean, aboard the Schooner SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS, Captained by John Tohanczyn.

Enrolled in a school decidedly more local are Frenchboro residents Linda Bernstein, Zachary Lunt and Robert Stuart who will attend Vineyard Maritime's U.S. Coast Guard-approved training school in Belfast. If successful, all three will receive their Captains' Licenses under the tutelage of school founder and teacher Shawn Ahearn.

Gavin Savage of Swan's Island has, after several years of fishing, decided to return to school. He plans on developing his writing skills this winter at University College of Bangor. Ryan Grindle, of Islesboro, will be attending Bear Traks School of Wilderness Living, an innovative Brunswick-based school, which offers an intensive experiential learning Earth Skills Semester Program.

The Fund for Maine Island Education: A Memorial to Carol Evarts McLane was established to enhance the existing Island Institute Scholarship program. The primary focus of the McLane Fund is on island residents seeking non-traditional educational pursuits. These may include internships, semesters abroad, vocational and technical training, refresher courses, ITV courses, post-graduate degrees, job shadowing, job retraining, seminars and conferences. Applications for the McLane Fund are accepted and reviewed on a quarterly basis. Deadlines for quarterly applications are Sept. 15, Dec. 15, March 15 and June 15. For further information about scholarships, contact Christina Cash at (207) 594-9209.