History
Global Community Institute (GCI) is a nonprofit educational organization formed in Bellingham in 1988. Explorations Academy is a core program of the Global Community Institute. The founders of GCI were motivated by two needs: the need for effective strategies that fully engage and provide meaning for learners and the need for educational organizations that address issues of social justice and ecological balance. The school, then called Explorations High School, began operating in the spring of 1995 as a pilot program and moved into full operation in the fall of 1995. In 1998 we gained full accreditation as a secondary school and have been linking experiential education with academic challenge ever since. We also continue to serve educators through our professional development program.
Specialties
Explorations Academy is unlike any other independent school in the Pacific Northwest. Our fully accredited high school has served students of Whatcom and Skagit counties for over 20 years. Rooted in experiential, field-based learning, our program provides students with opportunities to explore diverse subject matter, build positive relationships with peers and adults, and engage with the world around them in meaningful ways. Our main campus is nestled between the Salish Sea and the wild North Cascades in beautiful Bellingham, WA, and our field programs include urban and backcountry settings on five continents.