NORTH CASCADES INSTITUTE • 810 STATE ROUTE 20, SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA 98284 • (360) 854-2599 • NCASCADES.ORG/STUDY

Saul WeisbergExecutive Director, North Cascades Institute

We’re looking for people with a passion for field-based environmental education who want to influence change by building healthy, creative organizations. That means an equal interest in field teaching techniques and the behind-the-scenes work that makes programs happen and organizations thrive.

At North Cascades Institute, we believe that people learn best by doing. This belief is at the heart of the Institute and its graduate program: first-hand experiences in the field are the best way to learn about the natural world and how to teach others about it. We also believe it’s the best way to learn essential leadership skills — working in a fast-paced organization facing real challenges and opportunities. Together, these experiences will prepare you for an exciting future.

What will this program give you? At the end of seven quarters, you will receive a Master of Education in Environmental Education from Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment. You’ll also earn Certificates in Northwest Natural History and Leadership and Nonprofit Administration from the Institute. You will have a solid grounding in place-based education and natural and cultural history. You will be able to design and implement real programs, understand budgets and financial statements, develop successful grant proposals, work with the media, hire and lead a staff and ask for big money from major donors. You will be ready to start and sustain your own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or get a great job helping an established organization flourish.

For one year, you will live and work at our Environmental Learning Center next to the green waters of Diablo Lake. Nestled in the heart of North Cascades National Park, the Environmental Learning Center is surrounded by 7,000,000 acres of protected public lands in Washington and British Columbia. With our partner, Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment, we will help you map the future contours of your life.

If you want to be a leader in this field linking education and the environment, we designed this program with you in mind. We invite you to come visit the Environmental Learning Center and see for yourself, or simply call us with your questions. We’re excited to have you join us in this great adventure!

WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Message from the Executive Director

NORTH CASCADES INSTITUTE • 810 STATE ROUTE 20, SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA 98284 • (360) 854-2599 • NCASCADES.ORG/STUDY

North Cascades Institute offers a unique professional residency program designed to give students practical, hands-on experience in the field of environmental education. Through our unique partnership with Western Washington University and North Cascades National Park, graduate students explore a range of career paths in education and conservation. Over the course of the yearlong residency, students focus on field science, cultural studies, teaching, leadership and nonprofit administration while living among the towering peaks of the North Cascades mountains.Students earn a Master of Education in Environmental Education upon successful completion of this seven-quarter program, which begins in July with a two-month summer field course introducing you and your cohort to the landscapes and communities of the Pacific Northwest. In late August, students move to North Cascades National Park where they live and work in a twelve-month professional residency with North Cascades Institute. The final two quarters are based in Bellingham at Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment. Graduation is in March, when students receive their M.Ed. from Western Washington University and certificates in Northwest Natural History and Leadership and Nonprofit Administration from North Cascades Institute.

During the graduate program, students will:

1. Engage in integrated study combining academic coursework with the acquisition of project-based experience, practical workforce skills and professional connections.

2. Become proficient and experienced practitioners in environmental education curriculum and instruction through teaching diverse groups in outdoor settings.

3. Learn and teach place-based natural and cultural history while earning a Certificate in Northwest Natural History.

4. Gain and practice skills in nonprofit administration through training, mentorship and immersion in a highly effective and respected organization, resulting in a Certificate in Leadership and Nonprofit Administration.

5. Contribute to the continued evolution of North Cascades Institute’s programs through teaching and leadership tracks.

6. Become confident, self-motivated, creative and skilled professionals working with a community of leaders in a variety of education, environmental conservation and nonprofit settings.

Throughout the residency, students undertake many responsibilities under the supervision of the Institute’s faculty and staff – from implementing, teaching and evaluating programs, to risk management, marketing and community outreach. Students also participate in natural and cultural history seminars and professional development trainings, complete curriculum and nonprofit leadership projects and complete a practicum in Learning Center operations and teaching. Through these experiences, students collaborate with many of the Northwest’s best educators, naturalists and conservation leaders, including rangers and researchers with North Cascades National Park and the US Forest Service, and many other partners.

For photographs of the Environmental Learning Center and more information on the graduate program, please visit www.ncascades.org. You can also learn more about North Cascades Institute’s graduate program on our blog, www.chattermarks or by following us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/NCI.Graduate.MEd.

Program Overview

Who do I contact if I have questions?For questions relating to the residency program at North Cascades Institute, contact our Graduate Program Manager Joshua Porter, at Joshua_Porter@ncascades.org or 206-526-2567.

For questions about Western Washington University Graduate Schoolplease see www.wwu.edu/depts/gradschool.

How do I apply?Apply online to Western Washington University’s Graduate School at www.applyweb.com/wwugrad.

For North Cascades Institute scholarships, apply online atwww.ncascades.org/study/scholarships-financial-aid.

Can I apply to the residency portion only?No, the residency is not considered a separate program. The graduate program is a partnership between Western Washington University and North Cascades Institute.

Will I receive a state teaching credential?No, this program does not grant a Washington State teaching certificate. Students work closely with public and private school teachers and students during the residency providing experiential education programs designed to meet the needs of K-12 formal education. Some graduates have gone on to earn teaching credentials in Washington and other states after graduation, using the M.Ed. program as a foundation for a successful K-12 teaching career.

Is there an application fee?There is no fee for North Cascades Institute. The current fee for applying to Western Washington University Graduate School is $100 (domestic and international).

What is the admissions deadline?Incentives are available for early registration when applications are completed and submitted to Western Washington University. Complete application materials submitted by January 15 will receive a $500 early registration discount applied to the North Cascades Institute residency tuition.

What tests are required to apply for admissions?Western Washington University M.Ed. programs require the GRE or the MAT.

When will I learn if I have been accepted?North Cascades Institute will begin reviewing applications in mid-January and will notify successful applicants as soon as possible. Formal admission is offered to an applicant by Western Washington University Graduate School via letter upon receipt of the departmental recommendation, which typically happens in March.

Frequently Asked Questions

NORTH CASCADES INSTITUTE • 810 STATE ROUTE 20, SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA 98284 • (360) 854-2599 • NCASCADES.ORG/STUDY

How much does this program cost?North Cascades Institute residency tuition and fees for 2015-16 is $14,640. Residency housing and food for 12 months (September through August) is $6,300, and a $100 refundable damage deposit is due upon moving into Institute housing. A $1,000 summer course fee covers all expenses associated with the field course during the first summer, including camping and entrance fees, transportation and some food.

Western Washington University tuition is estimated to be about $11,000 for Washington State residents and $17,500 for non-residents.

North Cascades Institute offers scholarships and a $500 residency fee discount for applications received before January 15. A $2,500 teaching fellowship is awarded upon completion of the second summer, the final quarter of the residency portion of the program, for teaching and leadership tracks.

What type of financial aid is available?Financial aid for graduate students includes federal student loans, Institute scholarships and Western Washington University work-study. Students have also received scholarships from a wide range of other sources. Apply for federal financial aid through Western Washington University. Please note that the priority deadline for financial aid is February 15. For more information on the financial aid application process and application requirements, please see Western Washington University’s website for their Financial Aid Guide, Graduate Financial Aid information and the M.Ed. Financial Aid page. You may also call Western Washington University’s financial aid office at (360) 650-3470.

The application for Institute scholarships is available on our website at www.ncascades.org/study/scholarships-financial-aid. Scholarship funds are awarded on an ongoing basis as applications are received. Scholarship applications received by January 15 will be reviewed first. Students are encouraged to submit scholarship applications as soon as possible in the application process.

Where will I live during the graduate program?The one-month summer course (July – August) will be based in and around North Cascades National Park. The Institute will provide housing and transportation during this intensive course, much of which will be spent in the field. The next four quarters (fall, winter, spring and summer) students will be in residency at North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. Housing for these four quarters is included in the residency fee and may be in a duplex house on campus or in a house within a few miles of campus. The final two quarters of the program (fall and winter of the second year) are at Western Washington University in Bellingham, where students are responsible for their own housing.

How do I arrange a visit to North Cascades Environmental Learning Center?We strongly encourage prospective students to visit and meet Institute staff and graduate students. Please contact our Graduate Program Manager to schedule a visit at Joshua_Porter@ncascades.org or call 206-526-2567.

Frequently Asked Questions

NORTH CASCADES INSTITUTE • 810 STATE ROUTE 20, SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA 98284 • (360) 854-2599 • NCASCADES.ORG/STUDY

The following courses are part of the program.

• ENVS 597, 581, 582, 583 and 584 take place at North Cascades Institute’s Environmental Learning Center (NCI) for a total of 25 credits.• ENVS 501, 585, 587, 588 and 589 take place at Western Washington University’s Huxley College

of the Environment (WWU) In Bellingham, WA, following completion of the professional residency in the North Cascades for a total of 20 credits.

Course Descriptions

NORTH CASCADES INSTITUTE • 810 STATE ROUTE 20, SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA 98284 • (360) 854-2599 • NCASCADES.ORG/STUDY

North Cascades Institute Quarters 1-5

ENVS 597, Place-based Learning in the North Cascades, 6 cr / summer #1The course explores learning and teaching about the natural and cultural history of a place using the Skagit River watershed and North Cascades ecosystems as the classroom and focus of inquiry. The goal is to consider teaching about place, using this region as a case study with emphasis on how all places are ‘contested terrain,’ perhaps especially those that are public land. This is an intensive, field-based, experiential learning process which introduces ideas about sense of place, how it may contribute to understanding and care for the environment, and how educators are addressing the challenge of incorporating studies of place into their curricula. The course is based at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center, operated by North Cascades Institute in the North Cascades National Park Complex. (NCI)

ENVS 581, Practicum in Teaching Natural and Cultural History, 5 cr / fall #1Supervised field experience in teaching about natural and cultural history in an environmental learning center setting. (NCI)

ENVS 582, Curriculum in Environmental Education, 5 cr / winter #1Examination of all aspects of curriculum for environmental education, including the non-formal setting of environmental learning centers, nature centers and outdoor schools. Curriculum theory and methodology appropriate to these settings will be studied, as will processes of curriculum design. Current programs and materials will be reviewed. Students will practice the skills of preparing curriculum and learning materials. (NCI)

ENVS 583, Natural History and Science of the North Cascades, 4 cr / spring #1Studies the natural history of the North Cascades to understand the basic ecological, hydrological and geological principles operating there. Explores diverse processes of scientific inquiry that have been applied to study the landscape. Includes examination of how natural history and scientific inquiry into natural processes may be incorporated into interdisciplinary environmental education programs. (NCI)

ENVS 584, Leadership and Nonprofit Administration, 5 cr / summer #2Examination of the nature and qualities of nonprofit educational organizations and of models of nonprofit administration. Leadership, management and partnership principles and strategies will be studied. Topics will include all aspects of running an educational nonprofit organization, including financial management, fundraising and organizational development and evaluation. Working with public and private sector partners will be explored. (NCI)

NORTH CASCADES INSTITUTE • 810 STATE ROUTE 20, SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA 98284 • (360) 854-2599 • NCASCADES.ORG/STUDYPhotos: Sam Hale, Nick Mikula, Rick Allen, Jessica Haag

Western Washington Quarters 6-7

ENVS 585, Environmental Education Foundations, 4 cr / fall #2Examination of the principles and processes of education about and for the environment. Review of theory and practice of environmental education in a variety of programmatic settings. (WWU)

ENVS 501, Research and Projects in Environmental Studies, 3cr / fall #2Introduction to and survey of current trends in and historical contexts of environmental studies as an area of research and project design. Focuses on discursive, ideological and practical aspects of research and project-based work in Environmental Studies. (WWU)

ENVS 587, Conservation Psychology, 4 cr / fall #2Critical examination of the psychological and educational research bases for environmental education. Introduction to research methods used to integrate environmental behavior change, learning about the environment, development of environmental responsibility and formation of ecological ethics, across the lifespan. Course employs lecture, discussion, student presentation, and research practica. (WWU)

ENVS 588, Assessment, Evaluation and Research in Environmental Education, 4 cr / winter #2Critical review and analysis of approaches to research, evaluation and assessment in environmental education. Application of research approaches, designs and methods in practical settings. (WWU)

ENVS 589, Professional Writing and Presentation, 5 cr / winter #2Capstone course for students completing master work in environmental education. Reflection on program; writing and presentation of research and curriculum projects during the course of the master program. (WWU)