Each year, the AWSP Board President has the opportunity to select an individual or group who demonstrates support of principals and the principalship in the education of each and every student. The Association of Washington School Principals is
thrilled to announce that our 2022 President’s Award has been awarded to Chase Buffington, Director of the Cispus Learning Center.
Throughout the pandemic, Chase woke up every morning in the fight of his life to save the Cispus Learning Center. Cispus hosts incredible outdoor learning and leadership programs for students and adults across the state. COVID forced Cispus to
close its doors, and without any programs, no revenue came in.
Chase took that challenge head-on and worked tirelessly to secure grants and advocate for rescue funds while at the same time making much-needed infrastructure improvements. Those improvements ensured that when Cispus opened the doors back up
for kids, the facility would last another 50 or more years. His positive attitude, sheer determination, and belief in what is possible for Cispus are why he won this year’s AWSP President’s Award. Thanks to Chase, AWSP is still
the only principals association in the country that owns and operates an outdoor learning center.
While the President’s Award was officially presented to Chase at our annual luncheon during the AWSP/WASA Summer Conference in June, Chase couldn’t receive the award in person because back at Cispus Learning Center. Camps were in full
swing, and he was with the kids in the woods.
In addition to running Cispus, Chase is a school board member for the Morton School District, vice-president of the White Pass Scenic Byway, and is currently the steering chair for the Washington Outdoor School Consortium. Chase graduated from
Eastern Washington University with a bachelor's in Outdoor Recreation and was awarded the Outdoor Recreation Major of the Year in 2007. He is a member of the Association of Experiential Education (AEE), the Association of Challenge Course
Technology (ACCT), and Leave No Trace Principals (LNT). His wife is a White Pass School District math teacher, and they have two sons, Weston and Owen.
Learn more about the Cispus Learning Center at www.Cispus.org.