One year in, the South Whidbey school is growing—and making its nature-based education accessible to families across income levels.
Every morning on South Whidbey, a group of kids heads into the forest before they ever sit down at a desk. They hike the trails, breathe in the cedar air, and arrive at class with muddy boots and plenty to talk about. For the students at WEEKDAYS Salish Sea Academy, this is just how the school day starts.
The campus is sprawling and includes a gym, auditorium, two playgrounds, a track and a basketball court, plus direct access to Trustland Trails, 200 acres of public forest. Together with WEEKDAYS South Whidbey Preschool, which opened in 2020 and welcomes children as young as one year old, WEEKDAYS serves 60 children across two schools.
Founder Shauna Causey has been working with kids ever since her first babysitting job at age 10. She spent 15 years in technology, then started WEEKDAYS as an ed-tech organization during the pandemic before moving from online learning to two schools on Whidbey. A grant in 2024-25 helped open WEEKDAYS Salish Sea Academy in the former Wellington school building, with elementary classes from kindergarten through 6th grade.
"I wanted a program with small class sizes where every child is actually known," Causey said. "Kids today are growing up in a world that's changing fast, and they need to be ready for the future they'll actually live in, not the one we grew up in. That means thinking critically, solving problems, and learning at their own pace with a plan built around each child."
Causey also believes this generation carries a responsibility no generation before it has faced at the same scale. "These kids are going to need to be stewards of the planet in a way that no previous generation ever had to focus on," she said. "That's not an add-on for us. It's a big part of why we started."
That thinking shapes everything at both schools. Each follows Montessori principles, so rather than moving at a standardized pace, each student has an individualized work plan that meets them where they are academically. That means a 5th grader might be doing middle school math while reading at a 5th grade level, with each subject moving at the pace that fits that child.
Beyond the core subjects, students explore entrepreneurship, inventing, gardening, music, and a second language. The curriculum is designed to exceed state standards, with a strong focus on stewardship of the planet.
The schools are a natural fit for kids who are eager to learn, and the teachers work hard to make that learning fun. Most classes have five to 15 students, and there's also an after-school program and a full-day summer camp. About 40 percent of students attend at no cost to their families through scholarships or state subsidies.
To learn more, visit SalishSeaAcademy.com or Whidbey-Preschool.com.
