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Crowdfunding Update:
TUSD Superintendent Donates Performance Bonus to Cooper!
At last month's TUSD Governing Board Meeting, Superintendent Dr. H.T. Sanchez pledged his
$12,600 performance bonus to Camp Cooper's campaign. His gift will be presented to Cooper's University of Arizona College of Education Leadership, Dean Ronald Marx, Development Director Rick Zurow, and Department Head Bruce Johnson, at the July 14th Governing Board meeting at 6pm Tucson time. You can livestream the meeting online
here
.
Our campaign is less than $5,000 from our goal!
Dr. Sanchez's gift brings our summer campaign total to over $15,000! We hope to raise $20,000 for operations and staffing by midnight on July 31st. Our efforts thus far have ensured that the camp will be up and running for the coming school year. Raising the remaining funds needed for this campaign will allow us to hire a full staff of educators to work with students at the center.
Support Camp Cooper for the coming school year and beyond by adding your own contribution to the campaign. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it is $5, $25, $100, or more.
Whether you have been affected by Cooper personally or value environmental learning and human connections to the natural world, join us in providing memorable experiences in the Sonoran Desert to the kids of Southern Arizona, our next generation of environmentally responsible citizens. Please share this message with anyone who might be interested in supporting Cooper - over 130,000 participants have memories of the center and it is these people who are most likely to donate to our efforts.
Thank You!
#SupportCampCooper
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SAVE THE DATE: Prickly Pear Party & Mesquite Milling September 12th!
Join us for Camp Cooper's first-ever Prickly Pear Harvest and Mesquite Pod Milling!
Details
Saturday, September 12
8 a.m. to noon, FREE!
5403 W. Trails End Road, 85745
Contact: Mike Mayer, mmayer1@email.arizona.edu or 520-626-1825
For centuries, people have collected and processed prickly pear fruit and mesquite pods. Now you can join in the fun - not to mention the delicious results! You'll learn about the natural history of the prickly pear and how to use prickly pear and mesquite products. Hands-on sessions will take you through the process of safely collecting the fruits, extracting the juice, and making prickly pear jelly and syrup. We'll also make mesquite flour. Bring any prickly pear fruits and mesquite pods you have collected (preferably before the summer rains) if you'd like to have them processed. There is a $5 fee to grind pods into flour (for each five-gallon bucket).
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Field Trip Registration Begins August 3rd!
Trip requests can be made between August 3rd and September 4th for the 2015-16 school year. Multi-night and overnight trips are given scheduling priority, followed by day programs. Any trip requests that do not fit into the schedule will be added to a waiting list. Be sure to sign up as close to the beginning of the registration period as possible to ensure your preferred dates!
Registration Forms will be posted on the
Cooper website and reminders will be featured on the
Cooper Facebook page. Teachers who have led Cooper trips in the past will also receive the form via email.
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Now Hiring Educational Staff
Know someone who'd like to work at Camp Cooper this year? We're looking for two people who are passionate about sharing the natural world with learners of all ages, teaching basic ecological concepts, and inspiring all our program participants to live more lightly on the earth. Positions run from September 2015 through May 2016 and they will be filled by mid-August. For details on these positions,
click here.
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Special Thanks to Marshall Foundation
In addition to amazing gifts from individuals, Cooper has
also
been awarded a
$40
,000 grant from the Marshall
Foundation, and this award will be used to fund a staff member at the center for the coming school year! Founded in 1930, the Marshall Foundation seeks
to enhance the lives of Tucson and Pima County residents by supporting charitable organizations involved in education, health and youth projects and services.
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| Our Mission
Mission
The Mission of the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning is to:
- Offer programs and workshops to increase understandings of and deepen feelings for the earth and its life;
- Provide extended educational experiences for students, teachers, and individuals;
- Inspire individuals to develop ecologically sound practices in the Sonoran Desert;
- Promote partnerships between Southern Arizona Schools, the University of Arizona, and the local community to help prepare educators to better integrate environmental learning and sustainable practices in the classroom.
Why do we do what we do?
Sense of Place: We believe it is our duty and obligation to help people learn about and feel connected to the desert in which we live.
Sense of Wonder: We believe that each day the beauty of the Sonoran Desert is offered up to us through a unique array of plants, animals, and vistas - ours to enjoy by simply taking the time to step into the outdoors.
Sense of Action: We believe that each person must pledge to make small and large changes at home, work, and school to help preserve our natural communities of life.
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 Thank you for your continued support of the Cooper Center & its programs. I welcome your comments & questions as we build upon 50 years of environmental learning in Southern AZ!
From the Desert,
Colin "Jackrabbit" Waite,
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