Editor,

These times are filled with bad news — social justice atrocities, environmental devastation, an increasingly polarized political climate, and local, national and international tensions that often seem to outpace our collective ability to act.

The Whidbey Institute exists to support human development, personally and collectively, so that we can close the gap between the world’s urgent challenges and our capacity to respond. Leaders and learners of all ages come to the Whidbey Institute to be nurtured, challenged and inspired, and they leave with expanded perspectives, better equipped for working together in service to our shared future.

We want to thank writer Patricia Guthrie for the article “Expanding Knowledge,” published the day before the Whidbey Institute’s July 1 Open House Community Celebration.

Due in part to your help in getting the word out, the Whidbey Institute welcomed about 150 community members to our 106-acre campus.

Together, we celebrated the achievements of volunteers, donors and builders during the first year of Whidbey Institute 2020.

This four-year, $4.5-million capacity-building initiative aims to expand and improve facilities to better nurture transformational learning for a growing and increasingly diverse population.

We enjoyed tours of our new cabins completed during WI2020 Phase 1, live music with San Francisco band Gamelan X and a free lunch from Chef Christyn Johnson.

We heard brief remarks from Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson, Executive Director Heather Johnson and Board Chair Kate Snider.

Staff, board members and program leaders were available to answer questions and make community connections, and many visitors played fun family games in the meadow.

As a home for transformational learning since 1972, the Whidbey Institute has been a part of the fabric of South Whidbey’s community life for almost five decades. We’re so glad you were able to share news of the Open House with your readers.

We would love to hear from anyone who is interested in taking a tour, exploring the public four-mile trail network, or learning more about WI2020 and our upcoming programs.

Marnie Jackson

Communications Manager, the Whidbey Institute