The ISE is approaching its 50th anniversary this summer, and we invite you to come celebrate with us the weekend of August 23-25, at the historic North Calais Memorial Hall, right on the shores of beautiful Mirror Lake/Number 10 Pond in central Vermont. We will share stories and ideas, connect with old friends, and honor 50 years of popular education for a free and ecological society. We are planning an event that will explore the impact of our work on a range of social movements beginning in the 1970s and continuing through today. Please plan on joining us for a weekend of workshops, reminiscing, and socializing!
We intend to provide a range of stimulating activities and plenty of time to reconnect with old friends and get to know new ones, including activities for kids and other family members. We are excited for this unique opportunity to gather with the many generations of students, faculty, and staff who have helped to keep the ISE alive and vital over the past 50 years.
We have also compiled a list of accommodations available here.
Our schedule
Friday, August 23rd
3 – 5 pm Arrivals & Registration
5:30 – 6:30 DINNER
6:30 – 8:30 Welcome, land acknowledgment and opening circle
9 – Socializing at dispersed housing locations
Saturday, August 24th
8 – 9 am: BREAKFAST
9 – 10: Opening circle part II
10:30 – 12:30 First Panel: The First 50 Years, exploring several distinct eras: Cate Farm; Wandering programs; Return to Goddard; Maple Hill; Recent intensives, gatherings & virtual classes. We’ll have a couple of people introduce the various eras, then open it up for further reflections.
12:30 – 1:30: LUNCH
2 – 4: Group discussion: What folks have done since their time at the ISE. Seeded by several folks, followed by an open mic.
4 – 6: Open time with optional activities: Tour of past ISE locations, Youth activity, Canoes/kayaks, Recording station for personal stories (ongoing), Open space discussion groups
6 – 7: DINNER: Catered by Jimmy Kennedy (Former River Run owner)
7:00: Music by the Pitt Crew, featuring well-known central VT musicians
Alternate activity: “From Acorn to Oak,” a new social ecology documentary
Sunday, August 25th
9 – 10:30 am: BREAKFAST
10:30 – 12:30 Panel: International Connections, with guests from across Europe and beyond.
12:30 – 1:30: LUNCH
1:30 – 3:30: What will the future of social ecology look like? Responses to current politics in the US and beyond + anticipating the longer-term.
3:30 – 5: Swimming/Open time/Proaction café: Discussions of particular projects/next steps
5 pm: Cleanup
ISE 50th Anniversary Video Testimonials and Photo Collection
Since its inception in 1974, the ISE has impacted thousands of lives in a wide variety of ways – as students, participants in movements where social ecologists played a role, instructors, readers, political interlocutors, and many more. To commemorate this historic anniversary, we are inviting all those who have been a part of our story to record a short video describing your experience and to share photos from your time with the ISE. We’d especially love to hear when you participated and what program, how the experience or ideas have shaped you, and any inspiring or funny stories and memories you have. When you’re done, please upload those to this link. Our aim is to put together a short video collage to play at the 50th anniversary celebration event.
See this video from Luis Guzmán as an example!
The first 50 years have been quite incredible, we look forward to creating the next 50 together!
~ The Institute for Social Ecology
