About Us
WHO WE ARE
IslandWood is an environmental education nonprofit. We offer a variety of immersive programs throughout the Seattle region to help children, educators, and community members deepen their understanding of the world around them, explore important environmental issues, and see the power they have to make a positive impact on their communities and the planet.
Our programs – ranging from several days to several hours to several months – are designed to meet the different needs of the communities we serve. From the woods of Bainbridge Island, to streams in Seattle, to schoolyards in Tacoma, to the halls of the State Capitol building, we’re working to create hands-on learning experiences for all our region’s students, educators, and community members.
We understand there is an inextricable connection between educational justice, environmental justice, and racial equity. Embedding justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) throughout our organization is central to our work in environmental education, and to inspiring healthy communities and a healthy planet.
To provide exceptional learning experiences and inspire lifelong environmental and community stewardship.
We envision a future in which all people view themselves as lifelong learners, and share an extraordinary bond of stewardship for the environment, for their communities, and for each other.
Learn more about our place-based, culturally responsive environmental education programs for children, teacher professional development series, graduate program in partnership with the University of Washington, community events, and public policy advocacy on behalf of Washington students and teachers.
OUR CORE VALUES
Our core values provide an internal compass for how we aim to show up in the world.
- To inspire healthy communities and a healthy planet, we believe it essential that our work is inclusive across races, genders, sexual identities and orientations, voices, and stakeholders.
- We are here to serve students and prepare educators who reflect the socioeconomic and cultural diversity of our region.
- We strive to create experiences where everyone feels they belong and are valued for who they are, as they are.
- Ultimately, our guiding question is, are we creating experiences where everyone can thrive?
- We believe the challenges facing our communities and the planet require us to engage in highly intentional ways with each other and the world around us.
- Our programs encourage active listening to others and to being open to new perspectives.
- We are actively engaged in issues at the intersection of equitable education, nature-based learning and environmental stewardship, and we publicly advocate for these issues.
- We believe in the power of lifelong learning and value a sense of curiosity and open mindedness.
- We exist to create experiences that directly engage people’s wonder about themselves, others, and the world around them.
- We think that we evolve, innovate, and best serve our communities and the planet when we consciously choose a mindset of curiosity.
- We place our attention on the needs and perspectives of the students, educators, community members, and staff that we serve.
- We know that the impact of our words, decisions, and actions are more important than our intentions.
- We strive to continually work toward the design of experiences that are culturally responsive, inclusive, and antiracist.
- We hold ourselves accountable to positive results, both in the outcomes of our programs, and in the long-term sustainability of the organization.
- Inspiring healthier communities and a healthier planet requires bold solutions and a willingness to lean into discomfort and take thoughtful risks.
- We are willing to try new things and believe in progress over perfection.
- While we recognize obstacles, we focus on possibilities and solutions.
WHERE WE WORK
Our programs take place on our 250-acre campus on Bainbridge Island, at the Brightwater Wastewater Treatment Plant in Woodinville, and in Seattle classrooms and neighborhoods.
IslandWood acknowledges that we live and work on the ancestral land of the Coast Salish people, who have been stewards of this region’s land and waters since time immemorial. While the majority of our work takes place on Suquamish and Duwamish land, we also conduct programs on the land of the Snohomish, Puyallup, Muckleshoot, Skokomish, and S’Klallam people.
IslandWood is proud to partner with King County to provide education programs for 3rd-8th grade classrooms, teachers, and the community at the Brightwater Education Center, a state-of-the-art facility attached to King County’s newest and most innovative wastewater treatment plant.
Brightwater is located at 22505 St. Route 9 SE, Woodinville, WA (directions).
We deliver education programming for 4th grade classrooms at the Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel, High Point Community Development, and Mapes Creek at Beer Sheva Park.
Our Seattle office – located at 810 Third Avenue, Suite 236 in the historic Central Building – is the administrative hub for our Urban School Programs team.
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
We are striving to embed equity and justice into our work and operations.
CLIMATE CHANGE STATEMENT
We believe that climate change is one of the most urgent issues facing our planet.
CAREERS AND CULTURE
Are you passionately curious about the world around you? Do you share a commitment to education, equity, and the environment?
ADVOCACY
IslandWood advocates for public policy solutions which advance education that fosters a deeper understanding of our environment and inspires every student to take action.
The following four priorities guide our advocacy work:
- Integrate community connected environmental learning into public education
- Foster equitable access to learning experiences outside the classroom
- Increase diversity in the education, science, and environmental fields
- Cultivate sustainable cities through education
Our focus areas include:
- NGSS/Climate Science Funding: Since 2018, IslandWood has worked each year to help secure first-of-its-kind funding for community-based organizations to support schools by providing teacher training in connecting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to real world environmental/climate issues.
- Amplifying Teacher Voices: As we advocate for this NGSS funding, we are amplifying teacher voice to help build support for place-based environmental learning in K-12 education.
- Residential Environmental Education Funding: IslandWood supports state funding for public schools using Residential Environmental Learning Centers (RELCs) like IslandWood’s School Overnight Program (SOP). This year, we are working as part of the Outdoor School for All initiative and Residential Outdoor Learning Center coalition to advocate for funding for research, planning, and COVID-19 relief for RELCs, and to consider how our field can help address environmental issues and racial and economic inequity.
- No Child Left Inside (NCLI) support: As a member of the NCLI steering committee, IslandWood is supporting key efforts to ensure funding is maintained and improved for NCLI.
- $10 million to Support Access to Outdoor Learning for all Washington Children
Alongside many other organizations, we advocated for several successful state funding and public policy initiatives during the 2021 legislative session. These initiatives included over $10 million in funding for Washington Outdoor School for All (WOSFA), in support of residential outdoor learning for students throughout the state. This funding will help ensure that more Washington children than ever have access to education that deepens their knowledge of and care for the natural world!
- Maintained Funding for NGSS-Aligned Climate Learning
During the 2021 legislative session, we successfully helped advocate for $4 million to be maintained in the state budget for the Office for the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Next Generation Science Standards-aligned ClimeTime initiative. This initiative supports critical climate literacy for Washington students, and has historically helped fund our teacher professional development series. - Increased Funding for No Child Left Inside
We are thrilled that our advocacy, alongside the work of our partners, resulted in an increase to $4.5 million allocated for the No Child Left Inside grant program in the 2021 Washington state budget. The program provides increased access to outdoor education and recreation programs for Washington youth. - $1 million for NGSS-Aligned, Community-Connected Learning
In 2018, the Washington state legislature passed $4 million dollars in the state’s supplemental budget for Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) teacher training and support. Of that, $1 million was specifically allocated for nonprofits to partner with school districts to support NGSS-aligned, community-connected environmental learning. We are proud to have led the effort to secure this funding, as it is truly a first-of-its-kind innovation and an acknowledgement that community-based nonprofits, like IslandWood, are critical partners for improving educational outcomes for children and the environmental health of our state. Learn more - Celebrating the Signing of No Child Left Inside
In May 2015, the No Child Left Inside Act was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee. IslandWood was proud to partner with a variety of nonprofit organizations and business to support this important bill, which provides funding to increase access to outdoor education and recreation programs for Washington’s youth.
IslandWood is proud to work alongside Washington state elected officials, like-minded organizations, and leaders in the field to advance innovation and equity in environmental education, including OSPI, E3 Washington, Pacific Education Institute, and Washington Green Schools.
LEARN MORE
Explore these resources to learn more about our work and impact.
