COUNTYWIDE : Donations Sought for Science Programs

County officials are looking for donations to help poorer students get a firsthand look at the mountains and geological wonders that they study in science classes.

The Outdoor Science School and the Environmental Field Study, programs of the Orange County Department of Education, teach 17,000 fifth- and sixth-grade students a year about geology, forestry and other sciences in the San Bernardino Mountains.

“They can touch and see all this stuff that they learned in their science books that had no real meaning for them,” said Carrie Kuliev, a program support assistant.

The students take one-mile hikes through the mountains with instructors to learn about the foliage, animals and makeup of the earth.

The children also take part in social events in the evenings, such as putting on skits and learning how to square-dance.

The cost per student is $200 for the one-week class, and many schools hold fund-raisers and receive donations from parent groups to make the trip possible, Kuliev said.

“There are some schools and neighborhoods where they can’t even raise that kind of money or get that kind of help from their parents,” Kuliev said.

“Those kinds of kids we would love to sponsor and get them to have the chance to have this experience.”

Program organizers are hoping to raise $40,000 through a fund-raiser in cooperation with the California Angels baseball team.

The Angels have donated 10,000 general-admission tickets to the county’s Outdoor Science Foundation for the May 31 game against the Cleveland Indians.

Donors can purchase tickets for $4 for themselves or donate them for a needy child to attend.

Ticket orders may be placed by phone no later than Thursday.

For more information, or to make a donation, call Laura Moore, facilitator of the Outdoor Science School, at (714) 662-4940.