102 Monterey County GIVES! 2023 mcgives.com Education & Youth DONate online mcgives.com westernflyer.org Big Idea: After a long restoration journey, the Western Flyer is finally ready to take to the sea to head to Monterey Bay and inspire wonder in the style of John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts’ legendary adventure. They are two members of a crew that sailed the fishing vessel to Baja California for a marine biology expedition. Using hands-on, interactive lessons about everything from nature journaling to tide pools, this nonprofit’s Big Idea stirs curiosity in young seafarers. Slightly more sophisticated research will also result from this restored vessel, through partnerships with Stanford University and the Naval Postgraduate School. “I am very drawn to the Western Flyer Foundation because it works hard to merge science and art to get students interested in the field of science. That’s a very unique approach, and as a science educator, it’s really important to me. They focus a lot on the importance of deep observation, which is inspired by John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts. I’m now studying science illustration at CSU Monterey Bay, and I see so much value in passing these important lessons on to students to inspire an appreciation and love of science in a way that is timeless and holistic.” -Emily Fries The Weston Collective Year Founded: 2004 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 4 paid, 20 volunteers Budget: $30,000 233-2100 thewestoncollective.org Big Idea: The Weston Collective continues its Big Idea of getting cameras into the hands of local students. The nonprofit offers free or low-tuition workshops for youth and adults in a photo lab located in Martin Luther King Jr. School for the Arts, and also hosts the annual Weston Collective scholarship and exhibition for elementary, high school and college students. This nonprofit highlights the intersection of science, technology and art in photography, teaching both digital and analog techniques. Donations help preserve Edward Weston’s legacy and Monterey’s rich photographic history, while advancing today’s finest local artists. “Sometimes we never know the impact we have on students’ lives because they learn all these cool things and they go on in life, but the Weston Collective has created a really special opportunity and program for kids who otherwise never would have had an experience so rich and so deep and so powerful. I can’t even begin to describe how emotional it was for me to see the Martin Luther King Jr. School of the Arts fifth- and sixth-grade students’ photographs hanging in the Weston Collective scholarship exhibit at the Monterey Museum of Art.” -Wendi Everett World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Year Founded: 1951 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 0 paid, 32 volunteers Budget: $47,200 643-1855 wacmb.org Big Idea: In 2022, donations to World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay’s Big Idea helped to launch the annual Academic WorldQuest (AWQ) competition. This year, the nonprofit hopes to continue that momentum, establishing AWQ as an annual spring event to help students deepen their knowledge of global current events. Donations through MCGives! support the local event and sponsor travel expenses for the winning high school team to travel to Washington, D.C. and represent Monterey County at the National AWQ championship competition. “I am a Monterey High School senior. What sparked my interest in the Academic World Quest competition was the challenge. I knew it would require hard work and dedication. But my team and I all knew we wanted to do it because we were all interested in international affairs. My favorite part of the competition was when we all could sit down at the table and watch each other strive to do our best academically. Seeing the determined look on my teammates’ faces made me feel confident and happy inside. They were all so amazing!” -River Valdivia York School Year Founded: 1959 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 37 paid, 120 volunteers Budget: $6,888,205 372-7338 york.org Big Idea: York School offers a rigorous academic curriculum for 8th- to 12th-grade students. More than 64 percent of qualified students receive tuition assistance through York’s comprehensive program. But this nonprofit’s Big Idea goes even farther. York has expanded its tuition assistance to build upon its values of diversity, equity and inclusion. Donations will help support this new initiative to provide assistance at the level of 95 percent of tuition for AfricanAmerican/Black and Latino/Hispanic students. “My experience at York was truly transformative. York provided me with a safe, diverse and inclusive environment to learn, think critically, and grow into a young adult. At its core, York prepared me academically and physically for entrance into college at the U.S. Naval Academy. The community created by caring instructors, staff and fellow classmates encouraged me to elevate to levels I never thought I could achieve. For this opportunity, I will always be extremely grateful and indebted to York. I am also extremely grateful for the lifelong classmates and friends I made while attending York.” -Jesus Torres Jr., Class of 1991 I am determined to give back to others the same support you have shown to me.” Ashlin Habes, Carmel Woman’s Club
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