The Lessons of Wildwood
Academic Philosophy
At Wildwood, we believe that learning should be interesting, stimulating, and always challenging. Education should be looked upon as an opportunity to learn, expand one’s horizons, and better oneself. Education should also be seen as a way to inspire curiosity and as a tool for exploring the world around us.
Life and Social Skills
The world is becoming more complicated.
The power of social media, access to technology, and the elimination of conventional norms have created an increasingly confusing, isolated, and complex world. We believe in teaching students the skills to not just navigate, but thrive in this ever-evolving environment.
The Outdoors as a Classroom
The Gorge is a mecca for outdoor learning. At Wildwood, we attempt to get outdoors every day.
Examples of these experiences:
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We learned about volcanoes on the flanks of Mt. St. Helens.
We use our overnight trips to better understand ecology and climate change.
We incorporate physics and engineering design into our annual boat races challenge.
And so, so much more.
Humanities
​The humanities can be described as how to document and process the human experience. Understanding music, art, philosophy, history, religion, and literature enables a deeper and richer understanding of our world and one’s place in it.
Multi-Cultural Studies
The Gorge is one tiny area in a very big world. Anthropology will be a key component of our teachings. Learning about other cultures and peoples will be vital to our curriculum. In addition, we plan a yearly optional trip to allow students to broaden their horizons and learn on the ground in places like Washington D.C., Italy, and South America.
Giving Back
"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation or reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you."
- Princess Diana
Perhaps service is helping a foster child or planting trees; Maybe it’s giving a free music performance or collecting plastic trash. Giving back comes in many forms and we will work with each student to identify how they wish to make a positive impact in this world.
