TaborTalk Blog

Last spring, Hailey Kim and I found out that we were to be the co-leaders of the first-ever Tabor GAINS Club, a national club with the objective to empower girls and further the entry of women in STEM careers.

Two groups of students will spend their March break in San Salvador, Bahamas, snorkeling and enjoying the warm waters and sunshine, and working very hard! They are creating Tabor Academy’s first coral reef nursery. This year’s REEF trip will catalog the species of coral in the area, do some genetic testing to find disease-resistant species, and then take fragments from these healthy corals to grow in our nursery on PVC “trees” anchored to the seabed. When we return next year, we will hope to “plant” these more mature corals in the seabed, rebuilding an area of damaged reef.

A group of six girls were selected to attend the GAINS Conference (Girls Advancing in STEM) in New York City from March 26-28. Three seniors and three juniors along with faculty Mackenzie Chaput and CK Kennedy, explored their interests in science, math, engineering, and technology and how these fields interconnect for innovation. They also learned how women are participating and leading in these fields today. Enjoy their blog of their exciting trip to New York below!

Welcome to the Maker Lab, a small building across the street from the Hayden Library, commonly known around Tabor as Ashley House. Recently, it was turned into a fully functioning workspace for Tabor’s new Engineering program, as well as an awesome learning environment.  

Having always been a science geek my whole life whose dream is to become a researcher, I was intrigued when Mrs. Norris announced that there would be a research conference at Harvard University to which high school students could apply. After a week of anticipation (though it felt more like a year to me), I received an email titled “Harvard Science Research Conference Acceptance!” and was not able to contain my scream during study hall in the library. Yes, it was awkward, but that was how excited I was, knowing that I would have the privilege to attend the 2016 HRSC.

I have been involved in Scouting since first grade, when I first joined as a Tiger Cub. While I have learned countless things through my experience that are integral parts of my personality, the most important thing that Scouting has taught me is a love of the environment. It only makes sense, then, that my Eagle Scout project was based heavily on an environmental focus in my hometown of Jamestown, RI – installing a water collection system on a greenhouse at a local farm, helping to conserve a vital resource on an island community. This project qualified me for not only the rank of Eagle Scout, but also for the Hornaday Conservation Award – a decoration for achievement in environmental stewardship and protection. The quest for these two recognitions has been a large part of my adolescence, and I hope to help those younger than me to find the same passion.

by Rob Hurd and Erica Lunn '16

This summer, Tabor marine science faculty members Jennifer Albright and Kimberly Ulmer, set out to foster some new relationships and learn from local scientists about how to ensure the success of our fledgling oyster farm, as well as ways to integrate the farm into two new marine science courses at Tabor in physical and chemical oceanography.