North Cascades Institute's mission is to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature.

NCI believes that learning to care about the natural world begins in childhood and lasts a lifetime and that education, when combined with critical thinking and civic engagement, is a primary tool for conservation. The Institute's Mountain School program provides the benefits of immersive outdoor education to 1,000+ Skagit Valley 5th graders each year.

Funds from 4% Friday will support tuition subsidies for Skagit Valley 5th graders to attend Mountain School, an immersive multi-day experience that has served more than 40,000 regional students since 1990. At Mountain School, students sharpen their understanding of their own identities and discover their place in the world while connecting to nature and their peers. Tuition is subsidized to ensure that students from all backgrounds across the community can attend.