S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation Awards $500,000 Grant to Student Conservation Association
Funding Will Expand Youth Conservation Programs, Collaborations throughout Bay Area
(3BL Media) Oakland, CA - September 12, 2012 - The Student Conservation Association (SCA) has received a $500,000 grant from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation to expand its engagement of underrepresented Bay Area youth in environmental education, conservation service, and community stewardship.
During the three-year grant period SCA will offer 900 internships for college-age individuals throughout California and 400 positions for underserved high school-aged youth, primarily in the Bay Area. Support from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation will strengthen SCA’s ability to offer a continuum of experiential and environmental education to all Bay Area participants.
“This generous commitment from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation allows SCA to better leverage the support of our existing government, nonprofit, and philanthropic partners, and to enlist new allies as we expand outdoor service and career opportunities for local youth,” says SCA California Director Jay Watson. “This grant will allow SCA to make measurable strides in its ability to reach underrepresented Bay Area youth and to connect them to conservation service opportunities proven to increase their sense of civic responsibility.
While providing its members with opportunities to gain leadership and teamwork skills and develop a personal commitment to conservation and citizenship, SCA creates important pathways to conservation studies and careers.
All Bay Area members will assist resource management partners, including the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and state and municipal parks, in achieving and promoting sustainable land and resource management practices.
About the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
The S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation is dedicated to advancing a productive, vibrant, and sustainable California. Grantmaking supports the work of nonprofit organizations and initiatives that demonstrate the potential to address critical challenges to the health and prosperity of California.
About the Student Conservation Association
The Student Conservation Association helps tomorrow's conservation leaders take action for the planet by providing high school and college students with hands-on conservation experiences in all 50 states, from urban communities to national parks and forests. Since 1957, SCA has developed new generations of conservation leaders, provided America's youth with green job training and skill building, restored community green spaces, preserved our trails and recreation resources, and engaged millions of Americans in conservation service and outdoor education. SCA is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC with offices in Boise, ID, Charlestown, NH, Chicago, IL, Oakland, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, and Seattle, WA.
