Cortes Island Academy Showcase: A Journey to 2040

The Cortes Island Academy (CIA) recently transported attendees to the year 2040 during their year-end showcase, held on Thursday, January 23, at Cortes Island’s Mansons Hall. The event invited the community into a hopeful, imaginative future where art, science, and ecological awareness intertwined to reimagine life on Earth.

This immersive experience marked the culmination of the academy’s third semester, a time when students reflect on their learning and share it with the community. This year, the showcase centered on the intersection of climate and art, with students having explored citizen science, current ecological realities, and expressions of resilience.

Highlights of the event included spontaneous performances and visionary displays of futuristic concepts. Attendees were introduced to imagined scientific breakthroughs like the integration of biosonification — a technology that reads the bioelectric pulses of living organisms – with artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate communication across species. Students also envisioned a world where education prioritizes land-based experiences, ecological awareness, and the mastery of earth-based crafts and skills, paired with Indigenous language bilingualism and mixed-grade classrooms.

As part of the showcase, the students unveiled an anthology entitled Growing Up in the Anthropocene, an 84-page collection of art and writing that captured their reflections, anxieties, and hopes. Through their work, they examined the challenges of living in an era of climate crisis and biodiversity loss, while also sharing stories of resilience, creativity, and optimism.

The showcase also featured imaginative projects such as sustainable housing models, environmentally friendly building materials, sustainable fishing co-ops, and even a reimagined government agency, the “Ministry of Public Beauty” and a new ad-free, less addictive social media platform to promote safer online interactions.

Inspired by Rob Hopkins’ book From What Is to What If, the event demonstrated the power of imagination in creating a brighter future. Through their projects, the CIA students not only examined the complexities of this time but also shared a vision of possibility and hope, offering the community a glimpse into the innovative thinking and creativity of the next generation.