The Welcomer: Rose Woods and the Spirit of the Whidbey Institute

On the southern end of Whidbey Island, tucked inside 106 acres of moss-lined trails and cathedral-quiet forest, sits a place that’s been quietly shaping hearts and ideas for fifty years.

It’s called The Whidbey Institute, and it’s where leaders, artists, scientists, and seekers gather to ask the kind of questions that don’t always have tidy answers — questions about belonging, purpose, resilience, and what it means to care for both people and the planet.

At the heart of this work is Rose Woods, the Institute’s Co-Executive Director and self-proclaimed “Welcomer.” Rose’s story winds from California theatre stages to Whidbey’s forested classrooms — a journey that began when she came to care for her mother and stayed to nurture something much larger: a living experiment in community, leadership, and land-based learning.

Rose is also a Board member of South Whidbey Pride. She’s a Writer. A Teacher. An Activist. And a Theatre Director. She is the Founder and former Artistic Director of Island Shakespeare Festival. The Former Artistic Director for Whidbey Children’s Theatre and she has served as Artistic Director for three theatre companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and has worked across the country with both professional and youth theatre companies. She is a professional screenwriter and playwright. Awarded a commendation from Barbara Boxer for her work in teaching tolerance with youth theatre and is the recipient of a number of awards for both her writing and directing, including the Elizabeth George Foundation Grant, Humanitarian Teacher Award from the Humane Society, and a variety of national and international awards for her writing. She strongly believes art and social justice are necessary.

In this episode, we talk about what drew Rose to Whidbey Island, how the Institute grew from a bold 1970s vision into a national model for generative leadership, and why transformation often begins with something as simple — and sacred — as an open door and a warm hello.

I know you will enjoy meeting Rose.

 

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