I-School Continues to Grow in a Historic Carson City Home

Here’s an update on IVCBA member I-School, which started in Raley’s Center in 2011 as eLearning Cafe, became I-School and moved to the redwood building at 889 Alder, lost its lease when the building ownership changed during COVID, and moved to Carson City where it is now housed in a beautiful building on the National Register of Historic Places three blocks from the State Capitol.  Built in 1879, the building has retained much of the original character and even the wallpaper of the original Leport family, French immigrants who ran a grocery business in Carson City.  Fun fact:  Linda Offerdahl’s daughter took AP Calculus with us way back when!) 

We have a goal to retire the mortgage by July 4, 2025, to ensure the continued longevity of the school, now a K-12 establishment with a faith-based sister school, Hope Academy of Nevada, at the same location.  You may have seen our booth at the Carson City Farmers Market this summer, run by our students through their hard work in our gardens and greenhouse all summer.

To help our goal, the ever-generous McAvoy Layne will come out of retirement to do a Twain fundraiser for us at the opening night of the third annual Mark Twain Days in Carson City, October 16-18.  The performance will be next door to the Brewery Arts Center at 511 W. King Street, which was originally built in the late 1800s and home to anEpiscopal Church; it is now a lovely performing arts space.  In this show, starting on Thursday, October 16, at 7:30 after the opening reception next door at the Brewery Arts Center, Mark Twain will be visited by friends and family from his Carson days, including Julia Bulette, his wife Olivia, his brother Orion, and more, portrayed by another accomplished Chautauquan, Kim Harris, and the Hope Academy Chautauquans who have been performing this summer at the Dangberg Ranch. McAvoy and Kim will also perform together on stage the following night as part of Mark Twain Days.

Tickets are $100 for seating in the first rows and $25 for general admission. There is no charge for children under 16.  I-School is a 501(c)(3) and donations are of course welcome at this major fundraiser.

For information, please contact Emma Turner at eturner@ischools.us or Kathryn Kelly at admin@ischools.us.  For tickets, please go to Mark Twain Days – Visit Carson City.