San Diego Botanic Garden awarded $10,000 grant from Cox Charities to support STEM education, conservation, and sustainability

San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) was one of 10 San Diego County nonprofit organizations to receive a $10,000 grant by Cox Charities, which awarded a total of $100,000 in grants for local programs focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education, conservation and sustainability, and military and veterans, according to a news release.

The vital funding will support SDBG’s scholarships for Title I schools initiative aimed at engaging more than 600 public elementary school students across San Diego County in transitional kindergarten through fourth grade. Free access to guided educational curriculum at the Garden such as “Amazing Adaptations,” “Human & Plant Connections,” “Plants and Pollinators,” and “Around the World with Plants” will offer students hands-on, immersive outdoor learning experiences that help create authentic connections to the natural world, while underlining the importance of protecting it and ensuring a sustainable future.

Teachers can apply for funding to visit San Diego Botanic Garden for a guided tour and school program throughout the academic year. In addition to Garden admission and curriculum delivery by staff, funds from Cox Charities will be used to cover up to 100% of district bus transportation costs, which is the single greatest barrier to school field trips.

“All students deserve a well-rounded education, and many Title I students and teachers do not have access to experiential science lessons that bring real world challenges like sustainability and conservation to life,” said SDBG Senior Director of Education & Visitor Services Tomoko Kuta. “This grant will allow us the opportunity to reach even more students and provide them with hands-on, engaging learning experiences to spark their curiosity in science and our environment.”

The Garden’s focus on Title I schools is part of the organization’s ongoing efforts to be an inclusive, equitable, accessible, and welcoming place of beauty for all. In addition to a growing list of Title I schools that have previously visited SDBG, the grant will allow the Garden to connect with an expanded roster of schools that have not previously visited due to funding.

For more information about San Diego Botanic Garden and educational offerings, visit the website at www.sdbg.org. To learn more about Cox Charities and its giving programs, visit www.coxcharitiesca.org.