Columbia Gorge Ecology Institute
Cause Area
- Children & Youth
- Community
- Education & Literacy
- Environment
Location
203 2nd StreetHood River, OR 97031 United StatesOrganization Information
Mission Statement
The Gorge Ecology Institute endeavors to promote knowledge, stewardship, and curiosity of the local environment among the people who live, work and play in this region.
Our array of multi-sensory and educational programs promote understanding and appreciation of the ecological underpinnings of the local forest and shrub-steppe communities and how these ecosystems operate in connection to the human world . Place-based education is relevant to people's everyday lives, which encourages them to take pride in the place where they live, to connect with the world in a natural way, and to develop into informed and contributing citizens.
Description
Our volunteer classroom instructors and field naturalists from the community serve alongside full-time AmeriCorps members as mentors and have a big impact on the students they teach.
The school programs emphasize classroom instruction as a way to introduce students to science concepts prior to taking them out in the field. A group of three to four classroom instructors including Institute staff, AmeriCorps members, community volunteers, and high-school interns to ensure a small group setting for hands-on learning that engages all students.