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As the boat drifted toward the rocky shore, gulls began to flutter about in the midmorning sun — a welcome, or a warning, the passengers thought. After the riders disembarked and began their half-mile trek down the boardwalk, the gulls began to silence their calls.

Arriving at the island were not fishermen, not sailors, not curious travelers. Rather, they were students, here to teach each other basic survival skills as part of a leadership course taught by Aimee Vlachos, Ed.D., CPRP, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Business at the University of New England.

As the group meandered toward the boardwalk’s end, the imposing structure that is Wood Island Lighthouse came into view. At the foot of the lighthouse, students took turns demonstrating their assigned tasks to the rest of the group.