To the editor:

I am writing on behalf of an organization that has had a major influence on my life and is a vital part of our island community: IslandWood.

I am an alum of IslandWood’s Graduate Program in Education for Environment and Community, a master’s program rooted in an experiential approach to learning that allows educators to help young people develop deeper connections to their communities and the natural environment.

IslandWood’s Bainbridge Island-based graduate program (a partnership with the nationally-ranked University of Washington’s College of Education) is a hidden gem. Since 2002, the program has brought more than 300 aspiring educators to Bainbridge Island for a 10-month residency. Together, my fellow alumni and I have gone on to represent IslandWood in communities across the country and around the world as teachers, nonprofit leaders, and college professors. Some of us have even settled on Bainbridge Island!

This year, IslandWood needs our help. Enrollment for the class of 2017 is unusually low — a result of a strong economy, skepticism about the value of a graduate degree, and the fact that IslandWood is also recruiting for a new graduate program based in Seattle. Our voices can make a difference. Please join me in spreading the word about this opportunity to enrich the field of education — and our community — by sharing the link Islandwood.org/gograds with anyone in your life who might be interested.

HILARY L. BENSON

IslandWood ‘05