We did it! You all stepped up in a BIG way to make sure local kids don’t miss out on field trips packed full of natural sciences education. We couldn’t be more thrilled - we’re going to be able to say “Yes!” to every teacher who requests a class scholarship this school year.

Thank you for filling up the
Field Trip Fund!

Didn’t get a chance to donate during the campaign? You can give to the Field Trip Fund anytime, all year round, and we will gladly add your contribution to the scholarship dollars available to Central Oregon schools!

Each $12 donation sponsors one child. Your gift covers the cost of the field trip as well as the bus ride to and from SNCO.

Sponsored 71+ Children

Dr. Patricia Bade
Robert James Day
David and Alyce Drescher
Anthony and Jill Leonetti
Connie and Dieter Morich
Mitzi Putney
Jan Rasmussen
Barrett and Kay Reeve
Martha and John Ross
Kay and Tim Winn
Dennis and Valerie Wood
Anonymous

Sponsored a Busload of 70 Children

David and Mary Legg
Mike and Ann McCabe
Maria and Ron Patterson
Carolyn and Mike Spaniol

Sponsored a Class of 35+ Children

Diana and Warren Aakervik
Carolyn Anderson
Mark and Marjorie Bellesiles
Andy and Linda Crump
Katie Eskeldson-Kaiser
and Johnathan Eskeldson
The Martin Family
Scott Rigby and Lori Hecker
Douglas and Jayne Hurl
Terry Droessler and Kathy Ketchum
David and Marty Kreps
Stephen Miller
Bill Burke and Catalina Nocon
John Nelson and Susan Raleigh
Daniel VanDerZanden
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous

Thank You!

Sponsored 10+ Children

Joanne and Darrell Beck
Elizabeth and Gerhard Beenen
Gary & Chris Bigham
Donna Byrne
Jamie Carr
Paul Conte
Alan and Maribel Eames
Cathy and Mark Feirer
Scott Fenton
Richard and Donna Frazier
Sean and Valerie Gallagher
Elizabeth Gleb
Mike and Linda Gocke
George and Margaret Graves
Mark and Kate Halvorsen
Jeanne Hammers
Lori and Chip Hill
Sabra and Dean Hook
Mary Elizabeth Horan
and Robert Lutz
Kim and Larry Hutchinson
Lee Courtney and Katy Jenkins
Craig and Stephanie Koon
Becky and Michael Kubitz
Diane Bridge and Jack Landau
Laurakay Louke
Richard and Carol Luebke
Jill Mann
D. Wesley and Ella Minteer
Christopher Leao
Mary Pence
Tori Pontrelli
Mary Rardin
Holly Remer
Richard Renken
Jenny Rizzo
Kayla and Nick Rotunno
Sandra Henderson and Tony Selle
Maryann and Steven Sinkler
Joan Sloan
Julie and David Sorenson
Janet and Alan Steigerwald
Kent and Laurie Thomas
Lora Tsimbidis
Terrence and Doris Van Oss
Kathy and John Vogel
Donn Wassom
Ginger Hamilton
and Michael Westley
Elex Tenney and John Wiest
Sue Wilson
Anonymous

Sponsored 1+ Child(ren)

Carlyn Abdo
Robert Anderson
Susan and David Andrews
Gerry Lynn and Gus Argenal
William Arthur
Rosalie Ayers-Etherington
Larry and Mona Bain
Kyle Baker
Connie Bishop
Sharleen Boichel
Shawn Bonner
Lisa and Justin Brady
Alexa Byers
Kathleen Carter
John and Linda Carter
Cindy Christensen
Nancy Clark
Carolyn Clontz
Alicia Cobb
Mary Condy
Karsten Cross
Pahal Dalal
Hammer David
Marie Louise Davidson
Christie Davis
Ian Dawson
Laura Dickinson
Alice Anne Diehl
Sally Dixon
James Dumanowski
Ashtynn Early
Audrey Ellzey
Jeff Eorio
David Figur
Michael Foy
Marcie Frampton
Nick Friesen
Mary Ellen Fukuhara
Ricky Gaspar
Parag Ghosh
Rachael Gilleland
Gabrielle Glynn
Bernard Goffe
Steven Graunke
Tennille Gruman
Senthil vel Gunasekaran
Craig Harmer
Marcia Harrison
Julianne Heliotes
Catherine Herrold
John Hills
Susan Hoar
Nancy Holte
Holly House
Moore Household
Kyle Huisman
Brandon Hundley
Danielle Jennings
Amy and Tom Johnson
Teri Johnson
Joshua Kehoe
Thomas Kinane
Susan Kubota

Deepak Kumar
Shreekanth Lakshmeshwar
Nina Lamble
Claire Lundeby
Roger and Catherine Lundeen
Lori Macedone
William Macke
Eli McGarva
Samuel and Mary Medrano
Christine Michaelis
Tanja Miljevic
Ryanne Mitchell
Laura Morgan
Nichele Mori
Debora Muntz
Kurt Nickerson
Allison Novick
Noah O.
Minna O'Brien
Nelson and Frances Page
Sharri Parsell
Mark Penaherrera
Daphne Peters
Phuong Phan
Rebecca Quinn
Amy and Emery Raimundo
Doron Rainish
Lori and Tom Reeves
Marco Reyes
Merrill Richmond
Kelly Rider
Shannon and Jordan Ries
Kara Kerker and David Ritchie
Dennis and Gail Roberton
Mary Robeson
Larry Horn and Nancy Rotunno
Sylvia Ruggeri
Misha Russo
Nageswara Rao Sammeta
Julie Schiltz
Jim and Marcia Schonlau
Martha Schostal
Nora Semonsen
Steve and Lorraine Shaiman
Vishal Sharma
Carole and Steve Shipman
Jennifer Skinner
Edward Small
Gareth Stokes
Keith Tillman
Mark Tilman
Edward Trompke
Chelsea Way
Jolene Weller
Pamela White
Hana Claesson and Spencer Williams
Fish Williams and Julie Wilson
Cynthia Yco
Kathleen Young
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous

Learn more about SNCO’s Field Trip Fund

  • Teachers request scholarships from SNCO when their school cannot afford to pay. We strive to provide scholarships to all Title I and other high-need schools that request funds. Schools bring students from as far away as Culver, Madras, Prineville, Sisters - and as close to us as South County schools right here in Sunriver and La Pine.

  • Title I schools serve a high percentage of students from low-income families. Title I means they receive federal funding under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to support students who are at risk of failing to meet state academic standards. 

  • Oregon schools do not receive designated money for field trips. Field trips get funded when schools have leftover discretionary funds, but many don’t. These same schools are unlikely to have an active PTA fundraising for field trips, and their communities struggle to afford to donate. But, together we can solve this problem! If we can raise the scholarship dollars needed for a field trip, teachers are elated to bring students out for an immersive learning experience outside the classroom.

  • Despite all the talk about STEM, students are spending a lot less time learning about science than you might think. The emphasis on reading and math proficiency in policies like No Child Left Behind, has resulted in significantly less science being taught now than when you were in school. (link)

    According to the 2018 National Survey of Science and Mathematics, teachers in grades K-3 reported spending an average of 18 minutes per week on science. (link)

    Many teachers do not have a strong background in science; it’s commonplace for elementary teachers to have last taken a science class in high school. As a result, many feel underprepared to teach certain science topics effectively. (link)

    That’s why many teachers rely on Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory to provide deeper learning in the form of field trips or education staff visiting their classrooms.

    Check out this article that explains how nature centers, observatories, botanic gardens, and museums play a significant role in science learning:
    Where We Learn Science May Be Different Than You Think

  • Scholarships help cover the program fee, transportation, and substitute teacher costs for eligible schools. Additional funds help support everything that makes our programming possible including animal care, teaching staff, and facilities care and upkeep. For more information on eligible schools check out our Financial Assistance Program Guidelines here.

  • Each child boards the bus at school buzzing with excitement - they are headed somewhere new and exciting!

    They jostle for a look out the window as they pull into our parking lot. They glimpse a lake, hear an owl hoot, and smell the fresh pine air. They pile out for our flagship Nature Immersion Field Trip, which includes:

    • 45 minute classroom presentation by an Education Team Member with biofacts (bones, feathers, fur, etc.) and an Animal Ambassador visitor (raptor, reptile, amphibian, etc.)

    • 45 minute immersive nature hike and/or study focused on native flora and fauna, such as a pond study looking for macroinvertebrates in Lake Aspen water samples

    • 30 minute guided reflection period with nature activities

    • Picnic lunch and time for child-led exploration of our broader campus including the Nature Center, Observatory, and botanic garden.

    Field trip themes vary and can include ‘Animal Adaptations,’ ‘Birds of Prey,’ ‘Pond Study,’ and more!

  • With backpacks slung over their shoulders and imaginations already soaring, each child steps onto their school bus ready for a trip to outer space – or at least as close as they can get with their feet still here on Earth!

    Faces press against the windows as they pull onto our campus. They catch sight of our Observatory dome and their eyes go wide with wonder. The kiddos pile out of the bus for our flagship Astronomy Immersion Field Trip, which includes:

    • One hour classroom presentation by an Education Team Member with astronomy themed activities

    • Thirty-minute activity forming a scale model of our solar system with their classmates, which helps kids grasp just how big our solar system is and how far apart planets are!

    • Thirty-minutes in our Observatory enjoying solar viewing, telescope talks, and inspecting meteorites up close

    • One hour of child-led exploration of our broader campus including the Nature Center and botanic garden, plus a picnic lunch

    Field trip themes vary and can include ‘Earth’s Place in the Universe,’ ‘Sun and Other Stars,’ ‘Current Space Exploration,’ and more!

  • Nature-based education has been shown to support children’s development intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and physically. Studies have found that being outdoors improves children’s self-confidence, ability to work with others, caring, peer relationships and their interaction with adults. Children that participate in nature programs have been found to ask more questions than others and are better at problem solving.
    Build Nature into Education
    Building for Life: Designing and Understanding the Human-Nature Connection
    Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing & Hands-On Contact with Nature

  • Yahoo - you are making our dreams come true! If you have a contribution in mind that exceeds the sponsor levels described here, let’s connect! Please reach out to our Development Director, Kayla Rotunno, at kayla@snco.org or 541-593-4442. Kayla can also help if you would like to donate stock, or gifts via a DAF or a QCD.

  • Thank you! You can send a check to:
    SNCO
    PO Box 3533
    Sunriver, OR 97707

Above and Beyond Giving Opportunities…

We are deeply grateful to the donors who have established Education Endowments for SNCO. These endowed funds provide permanent, sustainable support for education scholarships – enabling underserved local children to explore natural science at SNCO for generations to come:

Mark Hebenstreit Nature Education Fund

John Schuldt & Mary Chisholm
Astronomy Education Fund

Our Education Endowments are building toward a future of fully funded field trips - when the disbursements fund all the scholarships Central Oregon schools need. If you would like to contribute, please contact our Development Director at kayla@snco.org or 541-593-4442.

You can also contact Kayla for information about donating stock, via a DAF or a QCD, and more.

What’s more fun than a field trip?

  • "Our field trip to Sunriver Nature Center was a highlight of the school year for my students! These joyful experiences will carry with them throughout their educational journey."

  • "Our kids had incredibly hands-on experiences that elevated their knowledge and connections to the topic of birds! You make a real difference in the experiences that kids have – and it connects to the way they understand the world around them. Thank you!”

  • “SNCO's education program is bringing science to life for my kindergarteners! Students learn about specific animal adaptations of the animals in and around Central Oregon and get to experience these features up close. SNCO is helping our local children learn to love and care about the wildlife in our community and inspiring them to be stewards of the earth in the days and years to come.”

  • “Our SNCO field trip offered our first graders a truly special opportunity that many might never experience otherwise. For some of our students, this was their first chance to see birds of prey in real life, creating unforgettable moments that spark wonder and curiosity. These powerful experiences create lasting memories that go far beyond traditional classroom learning."

  • "Magical moments [at SNCO] help students build positive associations with school and learning, showing them that education can be exciting and full of discovery! These experiences often become treasured childhood memories that inspire a lifelong love of learning and appreciation for nature. By making learning come alive in such a meaningful way, we're not just teaching science and reading – we're helping create young naturalists and enthusiastic learners who see school as a gateway to wonderful discoveries.”

  • "Thank you for hosting all three of our first-grade classes. Your organization and patience made our visit enjoyable, and the interesting facts you shared about the birds and their traits truly captivated our students. We appreciate all the effort you put into making this experience memorable and making our Bird Storyline come alive!

Images featured in this campaign represent participants in SNCO programs and are for illustrative purposes only. Their inclusion does not indicate whether they received scholarship funding or specify the programs they attended.