ARIEL THEATRICAL Year Founded: 1989 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 13 paid, 125 volunteers Budget: $648,285 (831) 775-0976 arieltheatrical.org BIG IDEA: ARIEL Theatrical is “keeping it real” with this year’s Big Idea by promoting their joyful kind of make-believe. This nonprofit believes a healthy alternative to social media and messaging apps is the authentic teamwork, communication and friendship developed through theater. Donations support the daily effort of running more than 50 annual productions, from family-friendly shows to summer camps. Their “realness” may be working: Youth participation in ARIEL Theatrical continues to rise. “The world isn’t always a great place, and unfortunately a lot of people don’t know what to do about that. But ARIEL is a place where people actually learn to solve those problems. I’m so glad a program like ARIEL exists. With places like ARIEL, there’s still hope in the world.” -Amelia Forstell, 15 BIG SUR PARK SCHOOL Year Founded: 2018 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 3 paid, 6 volunteers Budget: $225,000 (925) 818-1806 bigsurparkschool.org BIG IDEA: Young families in Big Sur have limited childcare options, especially for the smallest residents. The Big Sur Park School provides the only childcare for children from 9 months to 3 years old along the Big Sur coast. But its Big Idea goes much further. This nature-based educational alternative reaches kids up to 6 years old and offers a student-centered curriculum and outdoor classroom. The school prioritizes artistic expression, intentional communication and environmental stewardship with lessons guided by the rhythm of the seasons and each unique child. “As a working family, the Big Sur Park School has been essential to our ability to live in Big Sur. The program provides more than a quality, reliable early childcare solution for our needs, it offers a transformational, nature-based opportunity for our daughter. The relationships created at the Big Sur Park School, with both the teachers and other children, are her first significant relationships outside of our immediate family, helping to shape her view of the world, herself and other people.” -Noel Viator BOB HOOVER ACADEMY Year Founded: 2014 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 6 paid, 6 volunteers Budget: $700,000 (831) 597-4004 bobhooveracademy.org BIG IDEA: Bob Hoover Academy offers an alternative way to earn a high school diploma while also building skills for a lifelong aviation career. In addition to flight training instruction, Bob Hoover Academy recently added a Big Idea aviation maintenance program where students observe the process of building a CubCrafters airplane. Donations support all aspects of this innovative vocational training program, from daily lunch and snacks to the school’s flight simulator, and its next goal to add a hands-on learning component to the aviation maintenance program. “The Bob Hoover Academy has changed my life forever. Prior to attending, I had no experience flying and a poor academic record. As a Bob Hoover Academy student, I was president of the Student Council, I graduated with a high GPA and passed 86 Monterey County GIVES! 2026 mcgives.com EDUCATION & YOUTH DONATE ONLINE MCGIVES.COM “It has helped me transform myself into being the best possible person I can be on the ground and in the air.” -Aiden Fuller, Bob Hoover Academy CASA OF MONTEREY COUNTY Year Founded: 1995 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 11 paid, 174 volunteers Budget: $1,819,341 (831) 455-6800 casaofmonterey.org BIG IDEA: More than 40 Monterey County foster youth are currently navigating the court system on their own. A Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, speaks up for the youth’s needs, keeping the child a top priority and providing them with a trusted adult. When paired with a CASA, youth in foster care and the juvenile justice system spent seven-and-a-half fewer months in foster care and showed 85-percent improved school attendance. Donations to this Big Idea support urgent recruitment and training of CASAs, costing nearly $9,000 each. “Every foster child deserves someone who will stand beside them, believe in them and ensure their voice is heard. CASA volunteers provide unwavering support, offering hope and advocacy when it is needed most. Their compassion and dedication not only change the lives of individual children but also strengthen the future of our entire community.” -Dr. Deneen Guss, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools SPOTLIGHT
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