about the program

The Redfish School of Change is a non-profit program designed for people who want to lead the way in creating ecological sustainability and social equity in their communities. Each student enters the program with a proposed Community Action Project (CAP)that they develop during the course of our unique field experience, and then work to implement after the program is over.

As a participant in this intensive field school, you will kayak, cycle and hike through coastal communities in British Columbia and Washington State. You will visit innovative sites and engage with experts in the field of environmental sustainability and social justice. You will explore the wilderness of the San Juan and Gulf Islands, and witness the unique ecology of the Salish Sea as you visit its diverse communities. You will learn critical skills for creating positive change, putting them into practice during and after the program.

Living and learning with fifteen to seventeen other participants, two to three instructors, and a Redfish alumni mentor, you develop the capacity and confidence to lead your community on the issues that matter most to you. Upon the successful completion of the program, you receive three course credits from the University of Victoria or Western Washington University as well as six months of post-program support on your environmental and social justice initiatives.

The Redfish School of Change grew out of a shared passion for social and environmental change and experiential education as well as a strong belief in the capacity of young people to lead. A partnership between GreenLearning Canada , the University of Victoria School of Environmental Studies , Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment , and The Center for Canadian American Studies formed to make this unique program possible. A wonderful fusion of academic and experiential learning, the Redfish School of Change runs every summer.