WAYFINDERS

In October 2021, Innovative Learning and Living Institute (ILALI) began conversations with several North American retreat centers to assess potential partnerships for the Wayfinders pilot program.

Meetings and visits included a tour of the facilities, meeting with retreat center staff, local community, and neighbors, connecting and listening to the land, and developing relationships with indigenous leadership. After several meetings, ILALI partnered with the Whidbey Institute The Whidbey Institute ecosystem had potent land, caring staff and extended community, and beautiful facilities - all integral to the formation of the pilot program

In December 2021, an interdisciplinary team composed of educators, young adult development experts, leadership coaches, and creatives was formed to support the Wayfinders program curriculum Informed by this team, ILALI articulated a set of core concepts and practices to serve as the foundation of an integrative framework and metacurriculum for the pilot program This integrative framework and meta-curriculum centered transformative practices (i e , body, mind, spirit, shadow, and relationship exercises), worldview literacy, and service as a way to scaffold the overall development of each participant and the cohort as a whole