Outdoor Education Program
why outdoor education matters
Each year Mound School fifth graders embark on an exciting outdoor education experience. Traditionally, this experience has been a trip to the Catalina Island Marine Institute at Fox Landing where they are busy for three days exploring the outdoors. Exploring outdoors exposes children to new creatures and habitats, leads children to fun and challenging activities, develops problem solving, critical thinking and team work skills, builds self-awareness and confidence, and builds new connections among peers. At Fox Landing, they learn about different animals local to the area, their habitats and ecosystems. They hike, kayak, dissect squid, snorkel, have fun around the campfire and so much more. Not only do they learn a ton, but they also connect with each other and build memories that last a lifetime, before starting a new adventure... middle school. Outdoor education can have huge benefits on student mental health and academic performance.
Typically, the cost for each child to have such an experience is $400 each. The total cost for the entire fifth grade to have such an experience is roughly $40,000. The Outdoor Education Committee is responsible for fundraising to cover the cost of every student's trip!
For more information about CIMI at Fox Landing, visit https://cimi.org/fox-landing.
To connect with our Outdoor Ed Committee, email outdoored@moundpto.org
HOW TO SUPPORT OUTDOOR ED
To meet our fundraising goal of $40,000 per year, the Outdoor Education Committee hosts a number of fundraisers throughout the year. Events in the past have included:
Back to School Night Dinner & Activities
Mound Student Movie Nights
Fall Festival
Mound Adult Socials / Mixers
Silent Auction
Sponsorship Drives
See's Candy Sales
Cookie Dough Sales
Christmas Tree Sales
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP:
You can sponsor a portion of the program by making a tax-exempt donation to Mound School Parent Group - Outdoor Education by submitting cash/check in a sealed envelope to the front office or mail to:
Mound School Parent Group (Mound PTO)
c/o Mound School
455 S. Hill Rd.
Ventura, CA 93003
Mound School Parent Group is registered as a tax-exempt, 501 (c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization.
We are happy to provide a gift receipt and any additional information necessary to receive matching contributions.