Who We Are

Our Vision:

A community that cares for the earth and for people that fairly distributes and shares abundance, living within the limits of the natural world that sustains us.

Our Mission:

Empowering learners of all ages to become agents for change through experiential and environmental education.

Our Goal:

Environmental literacy for all learners in our community

Our Strategies

In order to develop capacity in our community for environmental education:

We help to integrate outdoor learning activities with academic content in K-12, non-formal and adult education
We help develop infrastructure & protocols to support learning at outdoor sites
We help develop funding to cover program costs and transportation
We build connections and partnerships to develop a broad base of support for outdoor education across the community

Our Methods

Our teaching methods empower learners and develop environmental literacy as well as foster intrinsic motivation, self-confidence, creative engagement, and connection to community. Our methods include place, project, and service-based learning, sustainability education, permaculture design, systems thinking for problem-solvers, and STEM to STEAM.

Our Values

Equity and Inclusion ~ We are committed to serving a diverse range of communities, including Latinx, Black, Indigenous, unsheltered, and marginalized youth. Our programs reach over 6,000 children and families annually, offering inclusive, nature-based learning environments. By providing equitable access to education, we empower participants to actively engage in environmental stewardship and foster meaningful connections with the natural world.

Environmental Stewardship ~ We believe caring for nature is a shared responsibility. Through immersive, hands-on learning, we foster a deep understanding of the environment and inspire a lifelong commitment to stewardship in participants of all ages.

Community Collaboration ~ We actively build strong, collaborative partnerships with local organizations, schools, and community groups. These relationships help us create lasting, positive change by ensuring that our programs are community-driven and reflect the needs and values of those we serve.

Sustainability ~ Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond environmental practices; we promote regenerative solutions that benefit both the land and the community. Through our programs, we encourage sustainable living practices that support long-term health and resilience, ensuring future generations can thrive.

EdenAcres members are highly experienced educators with a deep interest in sustainability education. Over the years, they've incorporated systems thinking, permaculture design, place and project-based learning, and outdoor experiences into their associated learning environments. They've been pivotal drivers of the development of a rich and diverse sustainability-minded culture in Forest Grove. Members are co-creators of the Forest Grove Community School, Pacific University's B Street Farm, the Nana Cardoon learning kitchen and garden, and the Dairy Creek Food Web. In various capacities, they've supported the development of the Forest Grove Community Garden, Forest Grove Sustainability Commission, Centro Cultural's STEAM youth-empowerment program, and Adelante Mujeres’ Farmer's Market and Sustainable Agriculture education program. Collectively, they are directly responsible for creating 15 new sustainability education jobs in Forest Grove. EdenAcres members are ambitious, determined, deeply connected, and ready to act in service to their community.

"We believe that our community has reached a tipping point where judiciously applied pressure on targeted keypoints will result in increased access to outdoor education for learners of all ages in our region. Our work is to identify and address those keypoints in order to increase capacity for environmental education in our region."