Service to Community - Leadership Development - Environmental Stewardship
Northwest Service Academy (NWSA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization administered by Educational Service District 112 in Vancouver, WA.
Northwest Service Academy (NWSA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization administered by Educational Service District 112 in Vancouver, WA.
We conduct locally-relevant environmental restoration and preservation; through direct on-the-ground restoration activities; through support to individuals and agencies engaged in these activities; and through school and community-based education focused on environmental issues and sound environmental practices.
We develop community leaders by providing opportunities for members and others to participate in meaningful service that is educational and demonstrates the value of civic engagement.
Our approach is effective
A history of vision, community, growth, and success.
Northwest Service Academy began as a vision in 1991 by a partnership formed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Western Rural Development Center at Oregon State University, and school superintendents from across the Northwest. This group aimed to develop a service program that would address local environmental issues while providing opportunities for individuals to gain valuable leadership and job experience in both rural and urban settings.
This vision was funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (then known as the Commission on National and Community Service) in 1993, when the Western Rural Development Center was awarded a two-year grant to start the Northwest Service Academy. In 1994, as a result of organizational changes at the Western Rural Development Center, Educational Service District 112 assumed management responsibility for NWSA.
NWSA began as a field team program with two centers, the Metro Center, serving the Portland-Vancouver Metro Area, and the Mt. Adams Center, a residential center located in Trout Lake, WA, serving rural Oregon and Washington. An Individual Placement (or an intern) program was added in 1995, and an Education Award Only program (the member receives only an education award for their term of service, unless a partner organization provides a living stipend) was added in 1998. In 2003, the Metro Center changed its name to Lower Columbia Center and re-emphasized its service to both sides of the Columbia River.
In 2004, NWSA expanded its geographic service area through partnerships with the Southeast Alaska Guidance Association (SAGA), and the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI). SAGA is headquartered in Juneau, Alaska and engages youth in environmental service throughout the state. PCEI is located in Moscow, Idaho and engages individuals in environmental service throughout Idaho and in eastern Washington.
In 2006, NWSA was recognized by the Internal Revenue Service and the State of Washington as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, administered by Educational Service District 112.
That same year, to more effectively engage local youth ages 10-13 in their community and help instill an ethic of civic responsibility inclusive of environmental stewardship, the Lower Columbia Center started the Portland Environmental Engagement Program (PEEPS), a popular and successful summer camp that uses service-learning and immersion experiences to make connections between civic participation, environmental responsibility, and community success.
Also in 2006, the Trout Lake Community Wildfire Protection Plan (TLCWPP) suceeded in ranking first place regionally for the 2006 National Fire Plan grant awards. NWSA assisted the community of Trout Lake, WA in the formation of this plan. NWSA's Mt. Adams Center has designated a Field Team to spearhead and coordinate the wildfire fuels reduction efforts required by the TLCWPP through 2009.
In 2007, NWSA again expanded its geographic service are through a partnership with the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin (NRFW), headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. NRFW is an organization that conducts and promotes protection of rare and endangered species, habitat protection and restoration, community-based conservation, and environmental education and outreach.
In 2008, the City of Portland's Community Watershed Stewardship Program (CWSP) was selected as the first national recipient of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award (JRCPA) for Campus Community Collaboration. Portland State University (PSU) and the City of Portland were recognized for the achievement at the concluding plenary session of the annual meeting of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Along with PSU and Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services (BES), Northwest Service Academy is a major partner in this program, and the AmeriCorps component. Over the past decade, Portland’s CWSP has engaged 112 community-based organizations in greater Portland, mobilizing over 27,000 community volunteers to donate a quarter million hours to install 80,000 native plants and restore 50 acres of watershed along two miles of river. Individual projects have been supported by 700 PSU students working as part of class projects, resulting in two master’s theses and three research articles.
To date over 4,000 individuals have gained valuable leadership skills and job experience as NWSA AmeriCorps members while serving communities across the Northwest. Over the past decade and a half, NWSA has partnered with over 2,000 different non-profits, schools, public agencies, and community-based organizations to address locally-relevant environmental and human needs.