Help Fund the Intensives for Lopez Students

LIEF is raising $10,000 through Give Lopez to fund the 2026 week-long Intensives for all Lopez Island School secondary students, with any additional support helping cover off-island field trips for students across all grades.

Each year, students step away from their regular classes for a week and choose immersive, hands-on courses designed by their teachers. This year’s Intensives include Hiking and Biking, Asian Culture, Food and Film, Zine Making and Activism, Beaching into Summer, World Music (Marimba, Choir, Ukulele and more), and Sports and Games Around the World.

Students cooking together during the Asian Cooking 
Intensives Week 2025

Many Intensives include off-island travel, special materials, and hands-on activities like cooking, art, music, and outdoor learning. Living on an island makes these opportunities more challenging and costly to do. A single off-island field trip costs $900 in transportation alone, covering ferry fares, bus, and driver.

Hands-on outdoor learning — a defining part of a Lopez education.

“LIEF has supported the week-long intensive program for years. These hands-on projects and field experiences bring students together and create meaningful learning that simply wouldn’t happen otherwise.” - Joe Behnke, Secondary Science Teacher

“Experiences off island broaden our kids’ understanding of the world. We would not be able to do the trips we do without funding from LIEF.” - Becca Hamilton, 4th/5th Grade Teacher

Lopez students building Sea Perch ROVs in the science lab, funded by LIEF.

The week-long Intensives are a defining part of a Lopez secondary education, a chance for students to explore interests, build skills, and learn in ways that stay with them long after the week ends. On a small island, experiences like these depend on community support.

Your gift makes it possible for every student.