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Dorothy Olsen Fund

Dorothy Olsen was a co-founder of the West Coast Institute along with Marjorie Thatcher.  Dorothy, with perseverance and care-filled attention, was a big supporter of Waldorf Education and she helped initiate early childhood programs in several Canadian provinces. She also was the early childhood program director at the Rudolf Steiner Center in Toronto for many years.

Dorothy told many of us that her greatest contribution to this work was the founding of the West Coast Institute for Studies in Anthroposophy. Wishing to keep her name close to our hearts, we have started The Dorothy Olsen Fund. Contributions to this fund will help keep tuition fees as low as possible, and will also support those who are in need of  bursaries. Just as Dorothy’s legacy influenced so many in our past, we intend that the Dorothy Olsen Fund will help the teachers that are now in training to carry the light of Waldorf Education and the care of young children into the future.

Dorothy died on August 11, 2022. Her legacy will live on through the work that she initiated and through those who graduate from the West Coast Institute. Your contributions are greatly appreciated, and will further the gifts that Dorothy so generously gave.

In gratitude,
from the Board of The West Coast Institute

IDEA Scholarship Fund

At the West Coast Institute we understand that each human being is an entity of body, soul and spirit; we respect the integrity and individuality of everyone.

We strive to provide educational training that is representative of the society we serve, acknowledging that this society includes all ages, a variety of gender identities, and diverse cultures and ethnicities. The greatest impact we can have on this effort is by making our educational training programs accessible and welcoming to a rich and diverse body of students. To this end we have established a scholarship fund for teacher training that is dedicated to aiding students from underserved groups and communities, with priority given to Black and Indigenous candidates.

The systemic change that is being undertaken in the Waldorf movement includes welcoming and making nourishing and inclusive space for more teachers of color who will infuse the work of Waldorf education with their authentic lived experience and perspective. In this way, as we take up the task of examining our role and responsibility in perpetuating systems of racism, we work towards a more just and equitable future for Waldorf education and the communities it serves.

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