LOS ANGELES ARBORETUM FOUNDATION INC

The School Environmental Education and Field Trip Program at the Arboretum serves more than 17,000 students annually, 70% of whom are from Title I schools. For students from urban food deserts void of fresh produce, these immersive experiences highlight sources of foods, water optimization, local history, and biodiversity at no cost to the students or schools. In addition to field trips focused on plants and early California history, trained docents offer guided tours especially tailored to the third and fourth grade curriculum.

The Next Generation Science Field Study Program meets a critical need of local Title I public schools (where at least 40% of students are from low-income families) by immersing students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade in the Arboretum's rich natural environment. This new program exposes students to hands-on learning opportunities that correlate with the state’s new Next Generation Science Standards at no cost to them or their schools.

Each spring and summer, the Arboretum fosters exploration, teamwork, and imagination in youth aged 5 through 11 at Nature Camp. For one special week, the Arboretum hosts low-income students on full scholarships. The nonprofit After-School All-Stars serves low-income, at-risk youth in urban Los Angeles, and their fourth through sixth grade students are invited to apply for the full scholarship to Nature Camp. With the community's support the Arboretum offers scholarships to about thirty award recipients each year.