Fidalgo Nature School Awarded $75K to Get Kids Outside!

We are so excited and oh-so-very honored to announce that we have received a $75k No Child Left Inside grant from the WA State Recreation and Conservation Office!

The Washington State Legislature created the No Child Left Inside grant program to provide under-served youth with quality opportunities to experience the natural world. Out of 52 applicants in tier 2 ($5,000-$75,000), Fidalgo Nature School’s project ranked an outstanding 7th with its overall grant score! We are so thankful for the partnerships that were fundamental to our successful proposal, including commitments and support from WA State Parks, Deception Pass State Park, Samish Indian Nation, the Deception Pass Park Foundation, and the Friends of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. Fidalgo Nature School will use this grant to transition to full-day classes with meals in 2022-2023 and provide free or reduced tuition and outdoor clothing for under-resourced families starting in 2021-2022.

Year 1 expansion initiatives (2021-2022 school year) :

• Increase staffing to expand the class size to 16 students.

• Provide free or reduced tuition and outdoor clothing when needed.

• Incorporate anti-bias & Indigenous sovereignty/culture training for staff and board.

• Begin to implement the Since Time Immemorial curriculum in partnership with Samish Indian Nation.

Year 2 expansion initiatives (2022-2023 school year) :

• Provide full-day (8-hour) classes (we're especially excited about this one!)

• Provide free or reduced tuition and outdoor clothing when needed.

• Host AmeriCorps service members to support environmental learning and train the next generation of outdoor teachers.

• Provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks daily.

• Continue ongoing anti-bias & Indigenous sovereignty/culture training for staff and board.

• Continue to implement the Since Time Immemorial curriculum in partnership with Samish Indian Nation.

Fidalgo Nature school will match the $75K awarded from the No Child Left Inside grant with over $32K, supporting up to 26 youth with an estimated 7,776 hours of free outdoor programming over the next two years. With the receipt of this grant, we are committed to partnering with the Samish Longhouse Head Start program to make our outdoor programing accessible to its participating youth.

With the receipt of this grant, we are committed and honored to partner with the Samish Longhouse Head Start program, bringing more students outside to learn, grow, and be in the community.

We can't wait to grow with you!