Education

The ten-month Graduate Residency in Education, Environment and Community at IslandWood (EEC), in partnership with the University of Washington, draws on the best practices of experiential, environmental and multicultural education, using natural and cultural environments as a context for learning. All courses are held at IslandWood and are taught by full-time IslandWood faculty on our Bainbridge Island campus.

Graduate students arrive in late August for an intense month of training at the beautiful IslandWood facility, including instruction in the natural history and ecology of the Puget Sound region and group management strategies.

Beginning in the fall, students combine academic coursework with teaching experiences in the School Overnight Program on the IslandWood campus and in surrounding Puget Sound-area elementary and middle schools. The focus of the teaching practicum is to work with fourth through sixth-grade students to help them develop an awareness of basic ecological concepts, the interconnectedness of natural and cultural communities and the impact humans have on the environment and each other. Low faculty-to-student ratios and a close-knit working community allow EEC faculty to mentor students frequently throughout the program and support them in their academic studies and professional growth.

Program participants come from a range of backgrounds and undergraduate majors, but share an interest in education. The program is designed so that, upon completion of the IslandWood EEC program, participants apply their credits towards one of several master’s degree programs in a second year (click to Program Completion) at the University of Washington. Some participants choose not to pursue a Master's degree at the University of Washington and move directly into positions in education, non-profit management, the arts, or public policy.

UW College of Education Placed 9th in U.S. News & World Report's Latest Rankings