Students at Santa Rita High School are hoping to raise money to create a new outdoor classroom at their school.
The students designed a desert habitat for the campus that will contain a small enclosure for a desert tortoise, a small pond to support native fish, an outdoor classroom for learning, as well as shaded seating areas and native habitat for birds and pollinator species.
Santa Rita is one of only a handful of schools teaching an agriculture and resource management class and it's one of only four schools in the state that offers this as a career track for students. The class teaches students how to grow produce in a more sustainable way.
The students created a donation site through EdBacker to raise money for the project. Here is more information about the project from their site:
"The students wish to create an area on campus that is not only conducive to learning, but also an area to relax and one that supports plant and animal life that is native to the Sonoran Desert. We are applying for a Heritage Fund grant through the Arizona Game and Fish Department to assist with construction. One of the criteria for winning the grant is to be able to provide matching funds or 'in kind' donations. Our hope is to be able to include in our September 2016 grant proposal, the amount of money and in kind donations we have raised.
Our design may cost up to $60,000 in materials and labor. We believe that we can raise that through crowdfunding and with support from our community. Please consider helping us attain our goal. You can donate cash through EdBacker or you can contact us directly to make a commitment on donating materials or volunteer labor to the project.
If you wish to commit to donating materials or volunteer labor, please send your written commitment letter outlining what you can donate to:
Santa Rita High School
Eagle's Corner Desert Habitat and Outdoor Classroom Project
c/o Mr. Josh Ruddick
3951 S. Pantano Rd.
Tucson AZ 85730
Thank you very much for your help and support."
