For more than 50 years, the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning, known to many in Southern Arizona as "Camp Cooper," has been providing memorable overnight experiences in the Sonoran Desert to elementary and middle school students from across the region. The Center is operated as a partnership between Tucson Unified School District and the University Of Arizona College Of Education.
During the month of April, Cooper is embarking on its second major fundraising campaign for staffing and operations.
Last year, in its first-ever major fundraising campaign, the Cooper Center raised over $80,000 in just four months. Donations included major gifts from the Marshall Foundation, the Southwestern Foundation for Education and Historical Preservation, the UA College of Education and Tucson Unified School District Leadership. The Center also received over 150 smaller gifts from supporters. It was a landmark victory for Cooper as it began its transition to a community-funded Center.
The grassroots component of this year's fundraising effort begins on April 1, when Cooper's second annual crowdfunding campaign goes live. The campaign continues through the end of April, with a goal raising $20,000 or more for operational and staffing costs for the 2016-17 school year. Donors can access the site at crowdfund.arizona.edu/Cooper2016.
The Cooper Center's programs focus on positive hands-on experiences in the natural world, basic ecological understandings, and inspiring each participant to live more lightly on the earth. Over 3,000 students visit Cooper each year, and more than 130,000 Southern Arizonans have experienced the Center's programs during this Tucson tradition's history.
University of Arizona College of Education Dean Ronald W. Marx recently shared his thoughts on the value of Cooper to the College: "The Cooper Center is a valuable part of our elementary education program for prospective teachers and our graduate programs in environmental learning. More importantly, it serves as a connection between the university and our community, and outreach is an integral part of our college's mission." Dr. Sanchez, Tucson Unified Superintendent, believes in the mission of Camp Cooper and in the unique educational opportunities it provides and urges the community to support the Center.
For more information please visit the Cooper Center website, or Cooper's Facebook Page.