76 Monterey County GIVES! 2023 mcgives.com Education & Youth DONate online mcgives.com ARIEL Theatrical Year Founded: 1989 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 17 paid, 100 volunteers Budget: $479,307 775-0976 arieltheatrical.org Big Idea: With popular titles like Seussical and Charlotte’s Web gracing this nonprofit’s Salinas stage in 2023, it’s clear ARIEL Theatrical can deliver quality community theater by and for local kids. However, ARIEL goes further to develop life skills in its young thespians, values reflected in the organization’s name (which stands for Accountability, Respect, Integrity, Excellence and Leadership). Donations to ARIEL Theatrical’s Big Idea support its ongoing productions and other year-round arts programming for participating kids from nearly every city in Monterey County. “Last December, we watched a thoroughly delightful production of A Christmas Carol. What we saw was a bunch of kids who clearly had a learning experience by putting on the production, but who were also building their futures. They had come together in a positive spirit to learn, perform and share experiences for the now and for their—and our—futures. We see so many bad things in our world. ARIEL is such a good thing. Its mission is vital. Our society is in desperate need of investment to support leaders who will help young people learn to lead principle-centered lives. ARIEL needs to continue to grow as such a leader.” -Bruce Crist Big Sur Park School Year Founded: 2018 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 9 paid, 6 volunteers Budget: $230,882 (925) 818-1806 bigsurparkschool.org Big Idea: Big Sur Park School helps build caring and compassionate kids with its early child care program. Its student-centered approach works to celebrate a child’s unique self-expression and focuses on social and emotional development, communication and relational skills for youth under 3. This nonprofit invested last year’s MCGives! donations into a variety of needs, including a 7-percent wage increase for teachers and Big Sur Park School’s scholarship program to help families pay for tuition. “Big Sur Park School has been a nurturing environment for our daughter, Roxy, fostering her curiosity and resilience in ways we hadn’t imagined possible. Through their student-centered approach and the unique outdoor classroom setting, she has blossomed, showing remarkable awareness of herself, others and the natural world. Big Sur Park School is much more than a school; it’s a community that respects individuality and cultivates a love for learning.” -Sam Stern Camp SEA Lab Year Founded: 2000 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 10 paid, 0 volunteers Budget: $800,000 521-2893 campsealab.org Big Idea: Kids from Monterey County and surrounding counties get hands-on experiences with local beaches and parks through summer programs delivered by Camp SEA Lab. This nonprofit’s Big Idea encourages environmental awareness and helps build a lifelong appreciation for vibrant watersheds, coasts and oceans. Donations help Camp SEA Lab replenish its scholarship fund and invest in its proBob Hoover Academy Year Founded: 2011 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 0 paid, 10 volunteers Budget: $350,000 785-7128 bobhooveracademy.org Big Idea: Bob Hoover Academy, an innovative alternative school teaching underserved high school students aviation skills, has tremendous growth opportunities ahead. After nearly tripling its student population, the Academy also received a fixer-upper Cessna four-seater. This nonprofit now needs donations to support its Big Idea: the restoration of this donated aircraft, including refurbishing everything from the engine, propeller and exterior. Students will take complete ownership of the project plane, which will then be used for flight lessons and student mechanic training. “As a 2016 graduate of the Bob Hoover Academy, I know firsthand the power of this school. Upon graduation, I attended a community college and became an FAAcertified aircraft maintenance technician, and was immediately recruited by major aviation companies to work for them. I currently repair and maintain various models of jumbo jet aircraft for a worldwide corporation. Throughout this period, I pursued advanced flight training and recently became an FAA-certified flight instructor. I now volunteer at the Bob Hoover Academy as a mentor, aircraft maintainer and flight instructor during my off-duty hours to pay it forward. I have also taken on the aircraft refurbishment project to make our donated airplane airworthy again. I will guide our students, who will get hands-on experience rebuilding the airplane’s structure, engine, avionics, interior design and external paint.” -Martin Mendez spotlight My dreams for the Salinas community, my experience, and my feelings were all welcome to the table.” Stacey Palmerin, Center for Community Advocacy
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