From its opening as a non-profit outdoor education center on Bainbridge Island in 2002, IslandWood has grown to become one of the area’s leading environmental education providers, serving 50 school districts, 250 different schools and 30,000 students every year. Its flagship programs – the School Overnight Program and their on-campus graduate program — have paved the way for an expansion into teacher professional development courses, as well as programs serving youth off Bainbridge Island.

Megan Karch, IslandWood CEO, says, “We know not everyone can come to the island, and we want as many people as possible learning about and caring about the environment. When we partnered with King County at the Brightwater Education Center in 2011 to deliver programs to schools in the area, that was a significant step in reaching more students and teachers in more ways.”

Giving educators the tools to teach climate science

IslandWood partners with the University of Washington College of Education to offer the IslandWood Graduate Program in Education for Environment and Community. This 10-month immersive residency focuses on justice-oriented environmental education that revolves around experiential, student-centered learning and culturally responsive teaching and curriculum.

For classroom teachers, IslandWood delivers professional development courses that give teachers tools and strategies to increase equity in science learning, take science learning outside, and deepen student climate science knowledge. As one teacher said after taking a course, “IslandWood’s emphasis on hands-on, outdoor learning experiences engages all students and helps them see themselves as scientists who can make a difference. Students develop a curiosity about the world around them.”

By equipping teachers with the training to empower their students, IslandWood has moved its reach far beyond Bainbridge Island and is working to create new generations of environmental change-makers.

These courses give teachers the tools to teach climate science and change in ways that are approachable and are focused on empowering students to make change. Brad Street, IslandWood Senior Manager of Professional Development, cites the example of Emerald Heights Elementary in Silverdale, WA, where the students focused on cutting air pollution with a “No Idling“ campaign that worked to discourage parents from letting their cars idle in the after-school pickup line. “It was a big success and it gave students the knowledge that they have real power to effect change in their community.”

Washington is one of the few states in the country to make teaching climate science and outdoor learning priorities, and has backed it up with government funding. IslandWood was instrumental, along with its peers, in advocating for and securing the 2022 House Bill 2078 that established a statewide Outdoor School for All Initiative. The bill supports statewide access to outdoor learning experiences like those at IslandWood and provides $40 million in grants to schools for outdoor education.

Planning for the next 20 years

Funding from individual donors has always been the financial mainstay for IslandWood’s work, along with many grants and foundation gifts, and has underwritten much of IslandWood’s expansion. “In the beginning, I never imagined IslandWood would offer so much, or become so integrated into the fabric of our region, says co-founder Debbi Brainerd. “It’s unbelievable how twenty years later, IslandWood continues to find ways to serve more children and teachers every year.”

Bringing the community to the island and beyond

IslandWood’s free and low-cost events and programs for the public have become a cherished way for residents and visitors to experience the beauty of Bainbridge Island and learn about the organization’s work.

Each month, visitors can take a free, three-hour walk through IslandWood’s ecologically diverse 250-acre campus, which includes a cattail marsh, pond, forest, ravine, multiple treehouses, a canopy tower, bird-blind and suspension bridge. And, IslandWood’s community programs continue to reach beyond the island, with many events throughout the year at the Brightwater Education Center in Woodinville.

Starting this month, the spring Breakfast with the Birds events are a joyful way to view and learn about the many species that return here each year.

Throughout the year, lectures, a Dinner Series  and self-guided hikes welcome visitors of all ages. Next month, the May 12 Nature’s Nurturers: A Celebration of Mothers offers a restorative afternoon where all ages can enjoy walking the trails, enjoy optional activities and sweet and savory treats.

Learn more about IslandWood’s programs for schools, teachers, graduate students, and the community here. Learn more about supporting IslandWood's work in the region here.