Countywide : Science Foundation Needs Bigger Board

The Orange County Outdoor Science Foundation needs to expand its corporate membership and board of directors to raise the funds that help county schoolchildren learn more about their environment.

The 3-year-old foundation, recently given nonprofit status, raises scholarship and grant funds for science programs run by the county’s Department of Education, Development Director Patti Huber said.

The Education Department’s Inside the Outdoors Science Study programs send about 47,000 students a year to day and overnight field trips around the county and its environs. Programs such as the Outdoor Science School and the Wild Wetlands program are each geared toward specific age groups, she said.

These field trips have become self-supporting over the past six years because of budget cuts, Huber added. School districts contract with the department at a cost of $16.50 a day and $220 a week per student. The foundation works to provide scholarships and grants to the schools, based on the percentage of needy students and fund-raising efforts in the district.

Often, Huber said, a trip to the mountains might be the first time a child is away from home without a parent. “A lot of socialization goes on,” Huber said. “The students have a role model, they work together in small groups and the meals are structured as well.”

Memberships for corporate sponsors range from $500 for the annual associate membership to $10,000 for a lifetime member, Huber said. The foundation also needs to expand its board from the current 11 to 21 members, she said. Interested companies and individuals should contact Huber at (714) 966-4339.