Daufuskie Island Independent School seeks head of school and teachers

The Daufuskie Island Independent School (DIIS), hailed by International Business Times as a model for “reimagining rural education,” is growing—and now seeking a Head of School and dedicated teachers to help shape its next chapter.

Founded in 2023, DIIS was created to provide local students with access to quality middle school education without the hours-long commute to the mainland that island families previously faced.

“The education gap here wasn’t just wide; it was isolating,” said DIIS co-founder Kimberly Lundgren. “We wanted to rewrite that narrative.”

According to International Business Times, DIIS “was born out of necessity” as the public middle school was disbanded over 20 years ago with no replacement despite need and discussion. “The community had been petitioning for years to bring it back, but no one heard them,” Lundgren learned as she listened to frustrated voices.

Drawing on decades of experience navigating public, private, urban, and rural education systems around the world, Kimberly Lundgren brought a global perspective to Daufuskie Island. Having witnessed families abroad—from Malaysia to Zimbabwe—sacrifice everything to access quality schooling, Lundgren applied best global practices from her international work.

Emphasizing community engagement and hands-on learning, she (with co-founder Justin Dacanay and community organizer Erin Quinn) designed a school that is deeply rooted in place, leverages local expertise, and provides students with a rigorous, real-world education without forcing them to leave their families or community. Her approach turned DIIS into a model of learner-centered, inquiry-based education adaptable to communities throughout the world.

DIIS’s model of rural education is built on community volunteers and collaborators. Local residents, retirees, and professionals contribute to student learning by teaching electives, mentoring, and supporting hands-on projects. Students learn about their island by engaging in environmental science by analyzing local water samples with the NOAA and mapping coastal erosion using decades of GIS data.

“You don’t need massive funding or sprawling campuses to deliver exceptional education,” Lundgren emphasized. “You need creativity, community, and a belief that every child deserves a top-quality and inspiring education.”

DIIS has received national recognition for its approach. Stand Together, which supports education innovation, highlighted DIIS as an inspiring model of learner-centered, individualized education, shaped by the students, parents, educators, and neighbors who believed “communities don’t have to rely on external interventions or accept the status quo when it comes to teaching their kids. Instead, innovation in education can come from parents, neighbors, retirees, and students.”

Now entering its second academic year, this microschool continues to expand its offerings and impact. To meet growing demand, the school is seeking a part-time Head of School to guide its next phase of development, along with additional part-time teachers who are passionate about experiential, place-based learning. Lundgren reiterated, “You build something that can sustain itself because it belongs to the people.”

Educators who are creative, collaborative, and inspired by learner-driven education are encouraged to explore this new adventure. For application details or to learn more, visit www.diis-sc.org or email admin@diis-sc.org.

A native South Carolinian, Emily is happiest in the sunshine with a big bowl of grits and a side of “burrelled” peanuts. She thinks in prose as she explores the coast on foot, bike, and boat with her family and she sure loves calling this community of B-LOVE-ton home.