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JOIN OUR CAUSE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

You can support the MERITO Foundation’s effort to provide over 1600 students per school year high quality environment-based science education in Southern California. Your contribution will give students the knowledge and experiences to know how and why to protect watersheds, coast, islands and air through an Earth-system approach. They will become informed stewards and activists able to make informed decisions. They will be exposed to an array of STEAM careers related to the environment and have fun along the way.

You can support in any of the following ways by:

Donating time as a volunteer: Either during meaningful field studies each spring as a chaperon or instructor, or if you are scientists, engineer or passionate environmentalist, you can be a guest speaker in a classroom. Just contact us at info@meritofoundation.org

Or by donating financial support: Our goal is to continue providing our services at zero cost to students and teachers of Title 1 schools.

You can choose to specifically sponsor any of the options below in support of students’ field studies and citizen science experiences, EECCOA Challenge, or teachers’ Professional Development in the area of Environment-based education:

$39 Sponsor one child’s boat transportation to Channel Islands

$120 Sponsor a pH sensor for our students to monitor the water quality of our local creeks and rivers

$275 Sponsor a set of binoculars & bird guides, or materials to build a set of sandy and rocky beach monitoring equipment for a class of students

$1,365 will sponsor the boat transportation of one school class in our programs to the Channel Islands

$330 Sponsor the cost of a school bus to transport up to 60 students to coastal locations

$5,600 will sponsor the costs of training 25 teachers on the content and use of our curricula including hard copy and digital copy of curricula

$1,200 will sponsor the cash prizes for the team of students who author the best project proposal to reduce the carbon footprint of the their school campus

$12,000 will sponsor all top 12 teams of students cash prizes for their innovation in finding solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the school campus

You can also choose what school to sponsor. During the 2016-2017 academic year, the following schools are participating either in the MERITO Academy or the EECCOA program in Santa Barbara and Ventura County region:

Buena High School (9th -12th grade) - Ventura
Fillmore High School (9th-12th grade) - Fillmore
Haydock Academy of the Arts Middle School (7th-8th grade) - Oxnard
Oxnard High School (7th and 9th grade) - Oxnard
Santa Barbara Middle School (7th and 9th grade) – Santa Barbara
Hollister Elementary School (6th grade) - Goleta
Ernest Righetti High School (9-12th grade) – Santa Maria
Montalvo Elementary (4th and 5th grade) - Ventura
Berylwood Elementary School (4th grade) – Simi Valley
McKinna Elementary School (4th and 5th grade) - Oxnard
Sunkist Elementary School (3rd and 5th grade)
Adelante Charter School (4th grade) – Santa Barbara
Washington Elementary School (5th grade) – Santa Barbara
Parkview Elementary School (4th and 5th grade) – Port Hueneme
EP Foster STEM Academy (4th and 5th grade) – Port Hueneme

Since 2006 the MERITO Programs have taught over 12,000 4th-12th grade students in Southern California about ocean, earth, climate and energy sciences, how and why to protect our blue planet, and have exposed them to STEM careers related to the environment in fun but informative ways. With your giving we can continue to make a difference! Through the support of people like you, we are able to provide 100% cost-free programs to students of Title 1 schools, highly needed curriculum and professional development to their teachers. You can help us continue fulfilling the demand for science education that is progressive, inclusive and relevant to our region’s natural environments and communities.

Thank you for your support!