86 Monterey County GIVES! 2023 mcgives.com Education & Youth DONate online mcgives.com Greenfield Community Science Workshop Year Founded: 2011 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 18 paid, 70 volunteers Budget: $525,000 540-9830 ci.greenfield.ca.us/191/greenfield-science-workshop Big Idea: When the Cienca Ambulante (or ScienceMobile) rolls into town, you can expect interactive exhibits teaching magnetism, fluid dynamics, electricity and more. Last year, donations to support this Big Idea helped deliver nearly 300 enrichment sessions for students throughout South Monterey County, an audience of primarily Latino, socio-economically disadvantaged students who speak English as a second language. This initiative, which hopes to reach 324 sessions reaching more than 8,000 students, nurtures creativity, exploration, and problem-solving through accessible, inclusive science education. “I can personally attest to the transformative effect that the Greenfield Community Science Workshop (CSW) has had on our students and wider community. Historically, families in the Salinas Valley have sought more resources to support their children’s academic pursuits—a need the Greenfield CSW has tirelessly addressed by providing resources tailored to science and engineering career pathways. Their commitment to making STEAM engaging and relevant to our local population is palpable in all their interactions and programs. The support from the Greenfield CSW extends to our afterschool initiatives, furnishing essential materials for engineering projects and delivering enriching, hands-on experiences. The Greenfield CSW brings unique and innovative services to our community, services previously inaccessible to underprivileged sectors. The Greenfield CSW is an invaluable asset to both Greenfield and the broader Salinas Valley.” -Verónica Hernández, Greenfield Union School District Principal Guitars Not Guns Year Founded: 2010 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 0 paid, 20 volunteers Budget: $20,000 601-9609 guitarsnotguns.org Big Idea: Guitars Not Guns seeks donations to get guitars into the hands of as many Monterey County youth as possible. This nonprofit delivers free guitars and guitar lessons, serving more than 2,500 local kids over the past 13 years. In addition to music instruction, this program helps build confidence in youth and exposes at-risk kids to an alternative, healthy hobby. This year’s Big Idea will help more local schools access guitars and accessories to expand the reach of Guitars not Guns. “Guitars Not Guns is an amazing program that has helped me develop musically and personally. With great instructors and fun lessons to learn, I have been able to take my guitar to a new level.” -Alex Carrillo Hartnell College Foundation Year Founded: 1979 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 150 paid, 120 volunteers Budget: $6,535,809 755-6810 hartnellfoundation.org Big Idea: The Hartnell College Foundation supports both the Women’s Education and Leadership Institute (WELI) and Men’s Institute for Leadership and Education (MILE) programs. While a welcome scholarship to help students pay expenses, WELI and MILE recipients also are paired with a mentor and participate in a student support group. This Big Idea distributes more than $200,000 to students, many of whom are first-generation college students and from low-income households. Donations will help replenish these scholarship funds for the 20232024 academic year. “Applying for WELI was one of the best decisions I made. As a first-generation student and a woman of color, I seldom see other women who look like me in leadership positions. WELI was the first leadership program that exposed me not only to professionals, but to other students with the same passion as mine; a passion for leadership development. The mentoring and guidance provided by WELI gave me determination to strive for previously unimaginable goals. Being empowered by other women gave me the confidence to make space in places where community college students are rarely acknowledged. Currently, I am the first and only Latina woman who has transferred from Hartnell Community College to Stanford University; however, with WELI and the powerful effect it has on empowering women, I am confident that many more will come.” -Jane Hernandez Institute for Innovation and Economic Development, CSUMB Year Founded: 2010 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 4 paid, 125 volunteers Budget: $600,000 582-3230 startupmontereybay.com Big Idea: This Big Idea pairs CSU Monterey Bay students with budding entrepreneurs to help launch local businesses. Students for Startups, an innovative internship program from the Institute for Innovation and Economic Development at CSUMB, not only provides valuable supplemental education for students but also helps brand-new nonprofits and businesses complete necessary tasks like develop logos and websites, set up e-commerce systems and establish hiring practices. It’s a win-win-win: Businesses receive help, students earn money and experience, and our regional economy gets an innovative boost. “This internship has given me so many tools and skills that I can carry throughout my career and has allowed me to make so many lasting connections with great people.” -Sophia Torres We learned more than months of classroom practice could ever teach us.” Shayla Dutta, Lyceum of Monterey County
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