IslandWood’s mission is to provide exceptional learning experiences that inspire lifelong environmental and community stewardship. We cannot achieve our mission if some children are left out of environmental learning or participate in learning experiences where they don’t feel like they belong. Students attending under-resourced schools face limited opportunities for nature-based learning and often experience additional challenges in these settings, as the curriculum and teaching methods frequently lack cultural relevance and fail to foster a sense of belonging for all students. 

IslandWood envisions a world where every child, especially those from under-resourced schools*, experiences nature-based learning designed expressly to support their needs, celebrate their identities, and instill a strong sense of belonging.  

We cannot fulfill IslandWood’s mission and purpose without placing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at our core, creating the conditions for all participants to thrive, rather than creating conditions for some participants to thrive.   When all children engage in nature-based learning in this way, we will ignite a sense of stewardship for our communities, planet, and climate that is vital for generations to come.  

While our organizational focus is on students attending under-resourced schools, we acknowledge that in the United States one’s race – more than any other factor – is the biggest determinant of educational outcomes, wealth, health, exposure to environmental pollutants and hazards, and life expectancy as documented by Equity in the Center. We believe that if we center the needs of people of color, who face the largest inequities, and we serve them well, we will serve most people well. (Read more about this well-documented principle, the curb-cut effect, here.)  This awareness runs through our commitments below. 

*Under-resourced schools are defined by Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for prioritization of schools for outdoor education based on student populations of: Low-income, Migrant, BIPOC, English Language Learners, Special Education, Tribal, Title 1, Homeless, and Rural students. 

IslandWood utilizes the definitions of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion included in Equity in the Center’s Building a Race Equity Culture glossary.

Justice: A concept of fair and just relations between the individual and society. This is measured by the explicit and tacit terms for the distribution of power, wealth, education, healthcare, and other opportunities for personal activity and social privileges. 

Equity: The guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations, and that fairness regarding these unbalanced conditions is needed to assist equality in the provision of effective opportunities to all groups. 

Diversity: Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among any and all individuals; including but not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, and learning styles. 

Inclusion: The act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate and bring their full, authentic selves to work. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in the words/actions/thoughts of all people.