Valuing People & Place

The Tierra Learning Center is located in Sunitsch Canyon, outside of Leavenworth, WA on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Sunitsch Canyon is still a relatively undisturbed sub-drainage surrounded by forest service land: it’s a beautiful and diverse natural setting. Along with being stewards towards this land, The Tierra Learning Center works to foster the values of inclusiveness and positive change.

Stewardship

Anyone coming to the Tierra Learning Center can be awed by the tranquility, depth and beauty of the land here. Humility is often the first response to this expanse and responsibility. Each of our enterprises is dedicated to taking less, using resources deliberately and nurturing the natural pace of life here. As an organization, Tierra Learning Center requests a high degree of personal responsibility, asking everyone involved, from retreat center guests to preschool children, to see themselves as stewards of the land and facilities here.

Inclusion

The Tierra Learning Center has come to fruition, in large part, to act as a community that can include people of all abilities in a larger mission. Much of our outlook has come through extensive research into various long term housing options for people with developmental disabilities. Inclusiveness not only means working to integrate people with special needs into mainstream lifestyles, but forming a community that creates a shared pocket of positive energy. We also highlight our attempts to keep this community from isolation, providing opportunities for the wider community to interact with the Tierra Learning Center.

Positive Growth

Learning is the central word here; life-long, affirmative learning. Why a learning center? Along side our examples of sustainable agriculture and early childhood education, Tierra offers a great deal of social interaction – small community. Just to keep us all functioning, we are often asked to lay aside old defenses and open to new possibilities. As a core value, Tierra believes in affirming each individual’s experience and providing the guiding framework for continued growth.