The History of the Academy

Euglena Academy put down its roots in Eugene, Oregon, in 2000, offering our first course in fall 2001. The school was born of a vision of an alternative, independent, college-level school by founder Dr. Alder Fuller, who wished to make cutting-edged principles of systems sciences, including Gaia theory, available to the public.

During our 10-year history, we have purposefully - by design - explored and experimented with diverse classroom experiences, venues, and mediums for teaching, seeking an optimal mix that appeals to and meets the needs of a wide variety of learning styles.

We believe that our purposeful, measured, but steady growth has allowed the emergence of a strong academic program that offers a solid foundation for our exponential growth in 2010 as we transition from a more traditional class-centric learning institution to a model that includes more experiential methods and greater levels of community partnership.

Metaphorically, the academy can be viewed as a biological cell in an organism, a micro-community that symbiotically supports the greater community in its educational needs while being nourished by that community.

Milestones in growth and development

• October, 2000: Established first studio in Eugene in the same building that we now occupy, but in a different unit. Build out, curriculum design and first web site.
• October, 2001 : Offered first course - now called Systems 1 (How Nature Works) to 8 students (most of whom went on to take more courses, and are still supporters of the school).
• January, 2002: Alder established Euglena Education, LLC as the platform from which to launch the academy as a non-profit.
• April, 2002 : First advanced course - now called Life 5 : Signs of Life.
• 2002 - 2006 : Added an additional 15 courses, most of which are still offered.
• July - August, 2005 : First Euglena summer camp at various mountain and desert locations in eastern Oregon.
• October, 2006 : Moved to current location in the same building.
• September, 2007 : Elevated climate change education to a major focus of the school, focuing on type II climate change (rapid and abrupt) based in a systems sciences perspective, making Euglena the only source of this perspective in the region.
• June - August, 2008 : Offered first climate change workshops in Eugene and Portland, Oregon.
• August 21, 2008 : Incorporated as not for profit corporation in state of Oregon, established voting members and elected first board of directors.
• October, 2008 - April, 2009 : Organized and offered free public lectures, films and panel discussions about topics from our curriculum under the name "Planet Now" at Cozmic Pizza, Eugene.
• June, 2009 : Offered first workshop to a professional group - American Institute of Architects, Southwest Oregon chapter - as part of Euglena's Climate Adaptation Program (ECAP).
• July - September, 2009 : Established new educational program with Aprovecho; taught classes about systems, Gaia, biology and climate in their summer and fall internship programs; now working on that program for 2010 and beyond.
• August, 2009 : Elected second (current) board of directors
• January, 2010 : Accelerated expansion of our program into Portland