IIY Visits University of Washington Arboretum

Continuing our End of Year Field Trip tradition, Invest in Youth partnered with the University of Washington Arboretum to provide a fantastic “classroom in the woods” for all to explore.

Over the course of three days, Invest in Youth staff members, school liaisons, tutors and 81 Invest in Youth students participated in a hands-on, experiential lesson that examined the connections between People and Plants of the Pacific Northwest.

Over lunch, students were able to connect with tutors and meet students from other Invest in Youth schools. Tutors were incredibly helpful and supportive in keeping students together and engaged (and students did the same for tutors!).

At noon, class began and students set out in groups to follow an Arboretum instructor into the interior of the park. They explored the texture of the variety of native trees and considered what different uses they served for indigenous people. They played active games that demonstrated the challenges of survival without today’s technologies and learned about the role and significance of teamwork for native people. They learned about different edible plants that sustained tribes for hundreds of years and different medical remedies that could be found in plants growing in our very own Pacific Northwest backyard. The instructors were enthusiastic, knowledgeable and showcased the talents and skills of our superstar students.

The efforts and commitment that each of our dedicated tutors have given to the scope of our programming and the support of our students is what ultimately allowed this to be such a fabulous and positive experience. An extra thank you to those volunteers who were able to join us for the fun! Looking forward to next year’s adventure!