South Kent School students are gearing up for an exciting evening of art, STEM, and sustainability at the inaugural Firefly Environmental Arts Festival, hosted by Millbrook School on February 21. This unique event brings together students, educators, and professionals to celebrate the intersection of science, creativity, and environmental advocacy.

The festival will feature keynote speaker Eileen Fielding, Director of the Sharon Audubon Center, who will deliver an inspiring talk on the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainability. For South Kent students, this event is more than just an opportunity to showcase their talents in nature photography—it’s a platform for meaningful collaboration with like-minded peers and professionals who are making a difference in sustainability efforts across the region.

“The Firefly Environmental Arts Festival is a perfect example of how art and science can come together to inspire change,” said South Kent STEM Dean Michelle Borsavage, who played a key role in ensuring South Kent’s participation. “Our students are thrilled to be part of this event, especially as it aligns so well with the sustainability and environmental initiatives we’ve been cultivating at North Campus. The chance to share their work and engage with others who are equally passionate about conservation is truly exciting.”

South Kent’s North Campus has been at the heart of the School’s commitment to environmental education, regenerative agriculture, and hands-on learning in sustainability. Through applied STEM coursework, ecological restoration projects, and farm-to-table initiatives, students have developed a deep connection to the land and an understanding of the role they can play in shaping a sustainable future.

The Firefly Environmental Arts Festival offers South Kent students a chance to further highlight their environmental work, exchange ideas with students from other schools, and gain insight from professionals actively working in conservation. The evening’s collaborative art exhibit, featuring nature-inspired works by both professional and student artists, will serve as a testament to the power of art in raising awareness and inspiring action for environmental causes.

As South Kent students prepare to take part in this exciting event, the importance of hands-on sustainability education at North Campus has never been clearer. Opportunities like these allow students to engage with the broader environmental community, strengthening their commitment to conservation, scientific inquiry, and creative expression.

The Firefly Environmental Arts Festival promises to be a dynamic evening of inspiration and action, and South Kent School is proud to be part of this regional movement toward a more sustainable future.

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South Kent Students Dive into Android-Based App Development with MIT App Inventor

Early lessons focus on user interface (UI) design and the actions triggered when users tap or swipe their screens. Building on these fundamentals, students have now embarked on a more advanced project: creating a digital version of the classic arcade game “Whack-A-Mole.” This engaging exercise requires them to integrate dynamic user interaction, timing mechanisms, and score tracking—all while emphasizing collaborative problem-solving.

STEM faculty member, Tim Smith, who teaches the App Inventor class, says, “I feel programming, also known as coding, is both a science and an art. It is a science because of the use of technology, structure and discipline. While there are multiple paths to a solution, each path does have its own set of rules. It is an art because, essentially, you start with a blank canvas and create something that has never existed before. I try to take these two ideas and incorporate them into all of the teaching I do, so our students understand that science also has its own beauty and purpose.”

Before coding began, the class held a design discussion to plan functionality, user interface flow, and overall gameplay experience. Such discussions reflect real-world software development practices, highlighting how thoughtful planning is essential for successful projects.

By the end of the term, students will have gained valuable experience in both the technical and creative aspects of mobile app development, opening doors to further exploration in the rapidly growing field of software engineering.

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