It’s no secret that change and education go hand in hand. Our children are the future stewards of the planet. The goals of our education programs are simple yet powerful: get children outside into their wild backyards in order to instill a sense of connection and place, and to give them the tools to face the challenges of sustainability with knowledge and inspiration.
Our education programs are delivered throughout the Columbia Basin by a team of inspiring educators and are directly linked to grade-specific Big Ideas.
Since 2001, Wildsight Education programs have connected over 90,000 kids with the natural world. Classroom With Outdoors and Winter Wonder make ecology come alive through hands-on activities like dip-netting, water quality testing and examining ice crystals in the snow. EcoStewards take students on a deeper dive, providing multiple opportunities for inquiry, action and place-based learning throughout the school year.
Beyond Recycling, our 24-week sustainability education program tackles topics such as energy, waste and consumption, and empowers students to come up with creative solutions to environmental challenges.
Know Your Watershed, a program we deliver on behalf of the Columbia Basin Trust, teaches Grade 9 students where their water comes from, how it’s used and what happens to it after it goes down the drain. The program culminates in a project initiated by the students to improve the health of their local watershed.
Go Wild and Columbia River Field School provide immersive multi-day adventures for high school students, challenging them to go beyond their limits and explore the deep and complex stories told by our region’s mountains and rivers. We also offer a full package of free lessons on the Columbia River watershed through our Teach the Columbia curriculum, best suited for high school students but adaptable for many ages.
Give the gift of awe and wonder by donating to our education programs here.
For inspiration, ideas, and resources to get your learners outside, visit our Environmental Education Resources page.
