Methow Valley
Place-Based Learning
Okanogan County
Why Here?
The Methow Valley is home to a dynamic rural mountain community. The valley offers unique opportunities to learn, engage in community events, recreate, and participate in sustainability work in a rural context.
Sustainability Pathways offers opportunities to students that are that are locally based. The scale of the community is small enough that students see the impact of their work and deepen a sense of belonging.
The Okanogan and Methow Valleys
North Central Washington
Where We Are Located
Sustainability Pathways is situated on the ancestral homelands of Interior Salish Peoples including the Methow, and other Colville Confederated Tribes, who have lived here from time immemorial. We express our deepest respect and gratitude to our Indigenous community, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways, and for ongoing collaborations in learning and stewardship.
The 12 Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are: Lakes, Colville, Okanogan, Moses-Columbia, Wenatchi, Entiat, Chelan, Methow, Nespelem, Sanpoil, Chief Joseph Band of Nez Perce and Palus Tribes, whose traditional territories span 39 million acres. A brief history story map can be viewed via the Colville Tribes’ website.
Program Locations:
- Sustainability Pathways Office: Twisp
- Fellowship Housing: Mazama, Twisp, Winthrop
- Fellowship Practicum Positions: Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp, Okanogan, Omak
- Sustainability Planning Studio Course: Winthrop and Twisp
Community Make Up
Okanogan County
Regional Demographics
A Rural County
- Age: Median age at 42.9 years old, (State median age is 38 years).
- Employment: The most common industries in the Methow Valley include education, retail, city employment, service industry and the trades.
- Race: Approximately 81% of the population is White (alone), 12.4% American Indian or Alaskan Native (alone), 1.4% Black (alone), 1.2% Asian (alone) and 3.5% of the population is made up of 2 or more races.
- Ethnicity: 21% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
- Rural Living: Okanogan County is the largest county in Washington, but the 26th most populated, with a population density of only 8 people per square mile.
Community Needs
Common Challenges Faced
- An aging Population
- Limited Work Opportunities
- Low Wages
- Increased Cost of Living
- Decrease in Farmland
- Decrease in Air Quality
- Increase in Wildfires
Local Sustainability Initiatives
Program Impact
Sustainability Pathways Program Role
Creating Opportunities and Supporting Local Organizations
Challenges such as finding affordable housing and living on service-industry wages has led to “an exodus of youth” from the Methow Valley region (Twispworks Economic Survey, 2021). Sustainability Pathways exists to develop opportunities that encourage young people to thrive in rural areas and utilize their gained professional skills and education to sustain the communities they come from (Twispworks Economic Survey, 2021).
Fellowship students have the opportunity to have impact by adding capacity and bringing their skillsets and energy to our partner organizations in the Methow Valley who are working towards building resilient communities through addressing local needs.
Sustainability Goals from Our Partner Organizations
Local Initiatives to Address Community Needs
Sustainability initiatives include; creating local access to higher education, providing resources for small businesses, conserving farmland, restoring local ecology, preserving wildland, creating equal access to clean air, improving access to public outdoor spaces, creating youth programs, providing free at home care for elderly, creating access to free, health food, developing affordable housing, and promoting affordable energy efficient solutions for home owners.