Patsy Collins Award

IslandWood has been given the privilege of annually recognizing and honoring one outstanding K-12 educator who has made an exceptional contribution to the community in which he/she lives and the students he/she has taught. The award, titled The Patsy Collins Award for Excellence in Education, Environment and Community, is given to a Puget Sound educator who is dedicated to creating powerful learning experiences for students by connecting students’ education to the real world, while inspiring them towards community and environmental stewardship. These are the foundations on which IslandWood’s educational philosophies are formed and what Patsy Collins believed in as a citizen leader in our region. 

Successful candidates will be K-12 teachers who:

• Actively use the environment/community as a context for learning
• Empower students to become responsible community citizens
• Create experiential, “hands-on” learning opportunities for all students

Each year the educator who is selected receives a $5,000 personal cash gift and $2,500 to donate to a school or

charity of her/his choice.

Puget Sound K-12 educators in either a public, private or non-traditional school.

Anyone in the Puget Sound region can nominate an educator for this award.

The person nominating a teacher completes an application which describes how this educator embodies

experiential learning and how he/she has encouraged students to foster a high level of stewardship within their own

communities. The finalists will be contacted by the nominating committee and asked to submit a current resume,

and a description of the ways in which they embody in their teaching the desired qualifications, and a description

of the non-profit of their choice.

Click here to download the application form 

Questions? Please contact Cathy Sanford, 206.855.4397 or cathys@islandwood.org