Young Environmentalists Program

Applications for our 2025 Spring Young Environmentalists Program are OPEN!

2025 Marks the 4th year of this compelling youth program, offered free of charge each Spring. During this 9-week program, young people (middle school and high school ages) have the opportunity to work with a variety of professional artists, activists, and environmental scientists to explore how art and environmentalism intersect, and how to make their voices heard about the issues that matter most to them. Students learn different art-making techniques that culminate in a large-scale, collaborative art project. Thanks to the generous support of the Madrona Institute and the Horizons Foundation, this program is offered free of charge!

This year, our theme is Creating a Positive Future. In the face of catastrophic climate change and uncertain futures, creative thinking becomes even more essential. As artists and visionaries, we have the power to radically reimagine our reality in ways that can create roadmaps for transformative change, and a positive future.

Areas of focus and projects include:

  • Sense of Place

  • Artistic Collaboration

  • Creative Writing

  • Printmaking/DIY Publishing

  • Waste Systems and Creative Reuse

  • Final Performance: Backdrop painting, script writing, costumes, acting



The first half of this program will explore painting, meditation, sense of place, creative writing, and the publication of a “zine” or independently produced publication. The second half of the program will draw on the ideas cultivated in the first half to create a final theatrical performance for the May 24th Spring Arts Fest.

COST:  Thanks to generous support from the Madrona Institute and the Horizons Foundation, this program is free of charge to all participants!

CALENDAR AND SCHEDULE

Please note that this is a working schedule, so some times are TBD.  If the location is Alchemy Art Center on a school day, students have the option of taking the school bus.  Otherwise, students will need to have transport to and from the field trip location (Alchemy can help coordinate transportation).  We know that students may not be able to make every date, but please take note of the schedule and apply only if the majority of the program can be attended.

INTRODUCTION

  • Monday, March 24th 3:30-6pm, Alchemy Art Center
    Introductory day with Maria Michaelson, Glenn Hendrick, and Kari Koski. Centering exercises, ice-breakers, and landscape painting activity. What is going on in our world? What would we like to see in our community and world?

    CREATIVE WRITING

  • Monday, March 31st, 3:30-6pm, Alchemy Art Center
    Shauna Barrows of the San Juan County Landbank and Island Verse Literary Collective gets us going on some creative writing!

  • Saturday April 5th, 11am-2pm, Field trip location on San Juan Island TBD
    10am-1pm, drop-off and pick-up from parking lot of San Juan County Park
    Sense of place and writing activity led by Kari Koski and Shauna Barrows

***SPRING BREAK - Some kids will be here, and some will be off island… this week is optional!

  • Monday, April 7th, 3:30-6pm, Alchemy Art Center
    Kids create their own unique board game, based on Life/Monopoly/Dungeons and Dragons

  • Saturday, April 12th, 11am-2pm, Alchemy Art Center
    We play our board game!

ZINES!

  • Monday, April 14th, 3:30-6pm, Alchemy Art Center
    Zines! Shauna Barrows and Alchemy Art Center’s printmaking expert Katey Rissi join forces to lead the students through creating their own DIY publication. The finished product will incorporate both writing and visual art by the students, and will be printed for local distribution.

  • Saturday, April 19th, 11am-2pm, Alchemy Art Center
    Zine day part 2!


    THEATER! This portion of the program focuses on the creation of the final project (a collaborative performance at the San Juan Spring Arts Fest). You do not need to have experience in theater! We will find a fun spot for you in this project regardless.

    INTRO/LOPEZ FIELD TRIP

  • Monday, April 21st, 3:30-6pm, Alchemy Art Center

    Local theater wiz Nicole Santora will lead the introduction to the the final project, and collaborative theater production! Don’t worry if you are not an actor or extrovert, this project will have an exciting and essential role for everyone.

  • Saturday, April 26th, Time TBD, Lopez Island Field Trip!
    Students will gather supplies for their costumes and props from the Lopez Island “Take It Or Leave It” free store, seeing a circular waste system in action! They will also join local activist and visionary Nikyta Palmisani in a climate “fresc” game at the library!

COSTUMES

  • Monday, April 28th, 3:30-6pm, Alchemy Art Center
    Students will conceptualize and begin to create their costumes for the production! Skills learned: sketching, planning, sewing.

  • Saturday, May 3rd, 11am-2pm, Alchemy Art Center
    Day 2 of costumes!

BACKDROP

  • Monday, May 5th, 3:30-6PM, Alchemy Art Center
    Backdrop painting with local mural artist! Students will work together to create the backdrop of their play. This is a super fun hands-on painting day led by professional mural artist Guilherme Lemes!

  • Saturday, May 10th, 3:30-6PM, Alchemy Art Center
    Backdrop painting day 2!

THEATER WRAP-UP, MUSIC!

  • Monday, May 12th, 3:30-6PM, Alchemy Art Center
    Wrap up script, costumes, set

  • Saturday, May 17th, 11am-2pm, Alchemy Art Center
    Speed songwriting with SSIS music teacher John Wheatley! Students will create an original piece of music for their play using games of chance and music theory.

PERFORMANCE

  • Monday, May 19th, 3:30-6pm, Alchemy Art Center
    Final rehearsal!!

  • Saturday, May 24th, time TBD (afternoon/evening): Final Performance at the San Juan Spring Arts Fest, Brickworks Stage!
    Students will present their final performance to the island community in between the two main acts at the San Juan Spring Arts Fest!

APPLY FOR YOUNG ENVIRONMENTALISTS!

APPLICANT EXPECTATIONS

  • Be able to attend most dates

  • Have interest in art and environmental stewardship

  • Be willing to try new things and participate in a final art show

APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS

  • This program is geared towards students aged 12-15, but students outside of this age range will be considered as well.

  • Applicants must have experience or interest in drawing, painting, writing, sculpture, photography, or any creative expression.

  • Applicants must have an interest in our environment.

APPLICATION & ACCEPTANCE

Applications open now through March 10th, and applicants will be notified of acceptance on a first come first serve basis. Apply today, space is limited!