Sixth grade camp is a pinnacle experience for so many students. Camp is right of passage and an opportunity for students to experience many firsts, expand their boundaries, spend nights away from their families, and build their confidence.
The fundraising for a class demands a considerable amount of effort and expense on the part of PTA, disproportionately impacting families with varying socioeconomic statuses, and the inequities in our community have only been exacerbated by the pandemic and rising costs due to inflation. We know how much of a hardship even $100 can be for so many of our Goleta families, and some years the cost of camp is quite a bit more than that.
On average, the cost of camp for each attendee is $550-600 for 4 nights. That includes food and activities (and the boat to Catalina for CIMI). It does not include the busses there and back. Currently, the district contributes $155 per student to lower the cost. Some of our schools are not able to raise the remaining amount of money required to pay for their camp experience.
Each increment of $2500 funds one round trip bus transportation for one school to camp (approx. 50 students), providing access and opportunity for schools where this additional cost places undue burden on the site and their ability to fundraise.
Camp can be a game changer for our young scholars – it may be their only opportunity to go on a trip and learn about science in such an engaging way!
Thank you to our 2023 science camp sponsors!
