Wayfinders continued...

Meta-curricular activities were designed as trauma-informed and equityinformed, incorporating concepts and practices for leadership development and embodied communication. It also offered a relational/indigenous frame for considering one's development as a process that emerges in relationship with others and one's environment Additionally, the meta-curriculum was designed to inform the daily and weekly schedule, a liberating structure and framework for integrating the content expertise of guest faculty and supportive of emergent design

In August 2022, ILALI began outreaching out to over 300 diverse communitybased organizations throughout the Puget Sound region to recruit applicants for the program. In December 2022, 15 participants, ages19 to 31, were accepted into the program They included six women, six men, three non-binary folks, six participants of color, and six stipend recipients. Politically, the majority of cohort participants were liberal or left-of-center. Two participants came from conservative families and communities, and two others identified as more conservative (moderate and very conservative). A third of the cohort had not explored formal education beyond high school Four cohort participants lived on Whidbey Island

As 2023 approached, the excitement grew New Whidbey Island donors came through, the cohort participants started to prepare for their 8-week residency and Wayfinders was officially launched on January 23, 2023.

Gratitude for ILALI and the Whidbey Institute staff for their deep commitment to making the pilot program successful.

M. Rako Fabionar, Program Director | ILALI