All Star 2 2024

July 7 - July 14

From Island to Shore in 2024: Bringing Star Spirit, Community, and Conservation Practices to the Mainland

With uncertainty so pervasive in our world it feels more important than ever to connect with our home communities. However, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the world that we witness on our televisions or phones, and end up lost down that rabbit hole. In the most difficult of times Star Island has served as a reminder that a positive, supportive, and compassionate community is ever possible. Together we have proven that by holding space for each other and allowing ourselves to feel held we can work together, though opinions differ, in love and kindness. This space is both mental and physical, and the care we give to these spaces is all the more imporant when we have limited resources, whether that be on a small island or a tiny blue ball floating in space.

This year we will explore the ways we can bring the love, care, and appreciation that is fostered on the island we call our spirit’s home back to our mainland homes. You can be a spark in the dark that ignites social, political or environmental change. You can inspire with small steps or large by giving back at home the way you do on Star. This year we will investigate ways to bring a seed of Star Spirit to plant and grow in our mainland lives. We look forward to working together with you this summer!

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All Star 2 (AS2) is a family-friendly, creative, and diverse week that can be as active or relaxing as you’d like it to be. Opportunities abound for both adults and children to make or enjoy music and art; dive into a game of softball, volleyball, or tennis; explore the harbor by kayak or rowboat; investigate the island’s history or ecosystems; play games; join together in chapel services; take a morning polar bear dip or a yoga break; watch the sunset at a marshmallow roast; engage in the morning lecture series or afternoon talks on the rocks; talk with friends new and old; or just settle into a porch rocker and read a good book. There are few demands but many temptations, and even more opportunities to create the kind of lasting friendships that continually delight new Shoalers and keep old Shoalers coming back for years.

Our Speaker of the Week

Dr. Samantha (Mandy) Joye is a Regents’ Professor and holds the Athletic Association Professor of Arts and Sciences in the Department of Marine Sciences in the University of Georgia’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She is an expert in marine biogeochemistry and microbial ecology and works everywhere from salt marshes to deep-sea methane seeps. Dr. Joye’s research has been widely published in leading scientific journals, and she is regularly called upon by national and international scientific and policy agencies for expert commentary. Mandy also works closely with many different artists to help communicate her work to the general public, and was among the leaders of the Ocean Memory Project of the U.S. National Academies of Science where artists and scientists got together to discuss wide-ranging topics including Genomics and Cognition; Sense and Sensing; and Pollution, Forgetting, and Loss.)

Minister of the Week

Reverend Leon Dunkley has contributed so much to the Star Island community over the years. He was Pelican as a young adult, attended numerous conferences both as a conferee and as a minister, and is currently serving on the Star Island Corporation Board of Directors. Leon continues to be a voice to create a more inclusive and intentional community, to help spread more empathy and understanding in the world, and to help Star Island become a more welcoming place for all people though the Beloved Community Project. We look forward to him bringing his music and ministry to the AS2 community.

Youth Programming

Our dynamic Children’s Program is the cornerstone of our weeklong family conference. Designed and developed over many years to meet the needs of all our young Shoalers, from infants to high school graduates, it is led by experienced and dedicated staff who will guide your children through the week during two daily sessions. Children will meet with their age groups for an hour and a half every morning, and for an hour and a half on most afternoons.

Program Fee

$125 per adult (18+)

$110 per youth (17 and under)

Room & Board

The rates below are per person for the full length of the conference.

Adults (18+) 

Standard Shared: $1,222 | Standard Single: $1,662

Motel Shared: $1,504 | Motel Single: $2,207 

Youth 

Under 6: Free | 6-11 years: $565 | 12-17 years: $809 

Financial Aid

Find out more information from the All Star 2 “Shoalership” page

Boat Schedule

Departure from Portsmouth July 7th 2:20 PM  

Departure from Star Island July 14th 8:50 AM  

Questions?

Email the registrar, Kathy West, at registrar@allstar2.org.