Youth Programming

Shorefast is committed to leveraging our internal organizational capacity in service of the next generation of community leaders. We dedicate time and resources to four major initiatives in collaboration with our local school, teachers, and students.

Mentorship Program and Career Growth

We provide job shadowing opportunities for grades 10-12 at Shorefast workplaces—including Fogo Island Inn, Fogo Island Workshops, construction/facilities management, and business supports—where they can engage with staff and learn about future career paths on Fogo Island.

Fogo Island Scholarship Lottery

Our yearly lottery raises funds for Fogo Island Central Academy graduating students attending any form of post-secondary education, with a proportional amount sent to A.R. Scammell Academy on Change Islands. To receive scholarship funds, students are asked to write an opinion-based essay or create a work of art, which is displayed in a celebratory public exhibition at the Punt Premises.

School Garden

We partner with teachers at Fogo Island Central Academy to plant small-scale vegetable plots with the younger students. Through this initiative, children are introduced to a range of plants and vegetables that grow well in our specific climate and start to become familiar with issues of food security and nutrition.

Guest Speakers and Other Special Appearances

On a monthly basis, Shorefast facilitates guest speakers on various subjects at Fogo Island Central Academy. Many talks are related to our Environmental Stewardship work, though other practitioners (artists, architects, chefs) have been known to make appearances.