About the Program

The Graduate Residency in Education, Environment and Community at IslandWood (EEC) program trains current and future educators to create learning environments that offer every child the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of both human and natural communities. The EEC program is grounded in the following philosophical commitments:
- Knowledge of ecological concepts and practical details of natural habitats
is necessary to explore healthier relationships between human
communities and the natural world.
- Education is most successful when teachers are sensitive to cultural,
ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious diversity and can create classrooms
that honor this diversity.
- Meaningful education grows out of thoughtfully guided experiences
and reflection.
- Every member of the teaching and learning communities can contribute as both teacher and student.
- An integrated curriculum combining science, technology, and the
arts allows individuals with a variety of learning styles and aptitudes
to succeed in an experiential education setting.
- An
important aspect of the educational process is helping students find a
balance between their individuality and their responsibility as members
of human and natural communities.
- Environmental and experiential education is most effective
when it relates to real-life experiences in the home community of the student.
- A sustainable future depends upon teaching children to respect each other and the natural world.





