What we do

Programs built around healing.

Every HWI program is free. Each one is designed to meet young people where they are, using creativity, movement, and community as the foundation.

Our approach

It's not about fixing anyone.

HWI is a heart-led project created to give young people a space to slow down, reconnect, and explore what wellness looks like on their own terms. Rooted in the belief that healing happens through creativity, movement, nature, and community, HWI offers experiences that feel real and restorative.

From yoga and art to honest conversations about mental health and trips that get students out into the world, our programs are about creating space to breathe, be seen, and build tools for navigating life.

Students working alongside each other in a farm field, planting and learning about food and agriculture
Outdoor education

Getting outside changes things.

There's something about being in nature that slows the noise down. Our outdoor education programming creates meaningful opportunities for students to connect with the natural world, through hiking, visits to local farms, and other hands-on experiences outside the classroom.

These aren't field trips. They're invitations to pay attention, work with your hands, and notice how much the natural world has to teach us about patience, growth, and community.

Students engaged in an art therapy session, creating expressive paintings with guidance from an art therapist
Art therapy

Sometimes you need to make something to understand how you feel.

Students explore self-expression and stress management through art-based practices. These sessions go beyond the canvas. They give students tools for emotional resilience and a safe way to process things they might not have words for yet.

Art therapy also opens conversations about mental health awareness in a way that doesn't feel clinical or forced. The work students produce is genuinely powerful.

In partnership with Lewis & Clark's Art Therapy Program
Students practicing yoga in a calm, grounded group setting, eyes closed and focused on breathwork
Yoga

Movement as a way back to yourself.

Through intentional yoga sessions, students are introduced to practices that deepen the connection between mind and body. For many students, this is their first time experiencing yoga and it's designed to be accessible, welcoming, and pressure-free.

Beyond the physical, yoga gives students a tool they can carry with them anywhere. A way to manage stress, regulate their nervous system, and come back to themselves when things feel overwhelming.

Students at a workshop learning about food access and nutrition, examining fresh produce and discussing food justice
Nutrition and food justice

Wellness starts with access.

This workshop introduces students to the realities of food deserts and food inequality in their communities. But it doesn't stop at awareness. Students learn practical ways to advocate for fair access to healthy food and understand why food justice is a wellness issue.

These conversations connect the personal to the political in a way that respects students' lived experiences and builds their sense of agency.

In partnership with Equitable Giving Circle
Who we work with

Community partnerships make it possible.

HWI programs are built on collaboration. These are the organizations that show up alongside us and make our programming richer for students.

Equitable Giving Circle

Nutrition and Food Justice programming, bringing food equity conversations into HWI workshops.

Lewis & Clark Art Therapy Program

Art Therapy programming, pairing trained therapists with students for creative, healing-centered sessions.

Vision Quilt

Collaborative visual art panels on gun violence, created with students at Parkrose High School as a call for healing and change.

Parkrose High School

HWI's primary internship and programming site, where 15 students participated in weekly sessions through fall 2024.

Inquiry for Justice Program

The partner program through which HWI was originally developed, connecting holistic wellness to academic and civic learning.

Nichole and students celebrating the Projects for Peace grant at a community gathering, holding materials and smiling
Projects for Peace Grant

The first-ever HWI Youth Camp.

This summer, Nichole is a recipient of the Projects for Peace Grant, an opportunity that has allowed her to expand HWI's impact and launch the first-ever HWI Youth Camp. This grant provided the resources to bring her vision to life: a free, four-day wellness camp for high school students focused on healing, connection, and emotional well-being.

This grant is more than funding. It's what's making it possible to create a space where students can slow down, connect with themselves and others, and explore what wellness really means, through nature, creativity, and community.

Apply for Summer Camp
Get involved

Questions? We'd love to hear from you.

Reach out by email or Instagram. Whether you're a student, parent, educator, or community member, we're always happy to connect.

Get in Touch Learn About HWI