Our Impact
Since LIFE’s inception in 2009, with the community’s generous support, we have:
Funded the three-year authorization process to implement the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program at Beach Elementary School
Funded 100% of all associated costs for the IB Primary Years Program at Beach Elementary School
Supported and supplemented Beach Elementary School staffing including, but not limited to, a Spanish language teacher, music teacher and the IB Coordinator position
Instituted a World Language Program
Funded robotics and computer learning programs
Sponsored Lummi Island Summer Theater Camp
Sponsored art programs, music supplementations, gardening instruction, books, hands-on marine science experience with Garden of the Salish Sea
Participated in cross-cultural teaching experiences with Mexico via a NEA grant
Split the cost of four iPads to supply four students in need of distance learning devices, computer programs and teaching supplies
Made possible professional development and teacher learning opportunities along with several cornerstone initiatives
Provided after-school enrichment activities such as art and recreation
Worked closely with Beach Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization
Meet the LIFE Board
Beth Randall
Chair
Bio coming soon!
Board member since 2023
TOM PHILLIPS
Secretary
We moved to Lummi Island in the late seventies and Dad built a house – just in time for us to start elementary school at Beach School. Back then the school grounds had no fencing. No special zoning seemed to separate it from anything else around it. Beach School has been in operation since 1919. I attended Beach School for six years, and played on the rest of the Island that runs up to its lawn. Every part of this Island then as well as now is a different part of a rounded community; kids, young adults, parents, artisans, farmers, fisherman, builders and retirees. People of every political stripe and income level all living in the same community. All accessible for a kid with a bicycle…even accessible for a kid without a bicycle. I spent nine years in Seattle working in motion picture film production, post production and exhibition. Then I moved back home to Lummi Island for the community I left after graduating high school. Now I work on our ferry boat. Having a school on the Island is crucial; the community and the Island environment are why parents are willing to live with the added personal financial and time burdens of commuting to work off-island. My commitment to maintaining an on Island school is why I volunteer my time for the Lummi Island Foundation for Education.
Board Member since 2012
BRITTA HUDSON
Treasurer
I moved to Lummi Island in 2000 and got to spend my sixth-grade year at Beach School. I have a lot of really wonderful memories of my time there and left with a wonderful education and a sense of community. Twenty years later I am privileged to be raising my own family here and have two of my kids at Beach School. It’s been a wonderful experience, in no small part to all the work and love that the teachers and staff put into it every day. The efforts of the LIFE Board have helped to secure Beach School’s place in our community. For my family that means my kids get to be at the same school that many of their family members have attended for several generations. I am honored to be able to volunteer some of my own time to give back to them and the students.
Board Member since 2020
Anne Helen Petersen
Board Member
I grew up in Lewiston, Idaho. My mom was an educator and the president of the school board, so I learned a lot about how education works at a young age. I attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA and received her PhD in Media Studies from the University of Texas and spent a decade teaching before becoming a journalist and full-time writer. I moved to Lummi Island in 2020 from Missoula, Montana after visiting Beth in winter and falling in love with the island. I joined the board because I believe a thriving school is a sign of a thriving community and want to do what I can to make that possible on Lummi Island.
Board member since 2024
Olivia Marshall
Board Member
I was born and raised on Lummi Island, attended Beach School, and have many fond memories and life-long friendships that I formed throughout my childhood.
I left Lummi Island when I was 15 for high school on Vancouver Island, then to pastry school in France, then went off to college, and settled in the SF Bay Area. After working for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse and her Edible Schoolyard Foundation, I went on to work for other food companies, then the technology sector and also started a small farm on the urban edge. Roger and I moved home to Lummi Island to my family’s farm after 10 years in Berkeley, CA. It has been very rewarding to use the skills I’ve developed throughout my career to grow the farm with my family and serve our community. I joined the LIFE board because I believe a thriving school is the key to ensuring Lummi Island continues to be a welcoming place for families and children.
Board Member since 2021
Elizabeth Thomson
Board Member
I moved to the community in 2025 and feel grateful to serve the Beach School community as part of the LIFE Board. As a psychotherapist with a background in clinical social work, I focus on supporting the well-being of children and families. Throughout my career, I have worked directly with children and youth in a variety of settings. In Minnesota, I served as the director of a leadership development program, where I supported young people as they built confidence and meaningful life skills. I also worked as a wilderness therapy instructor, guiding youth as they navigated mental and behavioral health challenges through treatment. I truly value the unique opportunities the Beach School offers students to learn, connect, and grow both academically and socially.
Board Member since 2025
