Philosophy

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.