News

Director's Update, July 2020

I hope that this message finds you and yours safe and healthy as we all do our best to manage the effects of the pandemic on our families and friends, and the communities that we share. I'd like to take a moment to share what's been happening at the Cooper Center this summer and our outlook for fall 2020...

July 2020 Newsletter

I hope that this message finds you and yours safe and healthy as we all do our best to manage the effects of the pandemic on our families and friends, and the communities that we share. We are living in incredibly challenging times, and our thoughts are with all that are in harm's way, especially healthcare providers and their support staff. Save the Date! Our Crowdfunding Campaign, originally scheduled for April, will now launch Tuesday, September 1st and run through the end of the month! Our crowdfunding goal is to raise $30,000 or more this year. Our summer Camp Cooper Online series has nearly 500 student subscribers. We are very excited with the responses we've gotten from the videos and activities we have shared with families.

Cooper Gives Thanks To Paul Lindsey

Cooper Center was honored to work this past year with Michelle Silvers, Doctoral Student in Disability & Psychoeducational Studies. Michelle worked with our team to draft our first statement on the establishment of inclusive practices for our programs and facilities, aimed at ensuring that the Cooper Center experience is accessible and effective for differently-abled learners, educators, volunteers, and guests.

Black Lives Matter

A Statement from the Staff of the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning

We, the staff of the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning, condemn the murders of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and so many more Black lives because of inhumane and racist actions by police officers and other white individuals. 

As an organization, we have been silent and complicit in perpetuating racism and white supremacy through our actions and our inactions. We are complicit in the deaths of Black women, men, children, queer and trans folx through our inaction and silence. This is unacceptable.

June 2020 Newsletter

On June 8th, 2020, Camp Cooper made the unprecedented step of taking our education to an online format, creating weekly curriculum for elementary students in Tucson based on Camp Cooper Activity Centers as well as Arizona state standards in science. Thanks to a talented and flexible education team, and the support of the College of Education, we have been able to create dozens of videos, along with worksheets, online games, and activities for students that help hundreds of students connect with their Sonoran Desert surroundings - the plants, animals, weather patterns and more.

Camp Cooper Class Trips Awarded To Two 2020 SARSEF Winners!

Each year, we support the Southern Arizona Research, Science, and Engineering Foundation's (SARSEF) annual fair with the Cooper Center Award of Excellence. This award is given to two projects that are focused on environmental issues and sustainability OR projects that address the relationship between humans and the natural world. We recognize one winner from upper elementary school grades and one in middle school.

Video Series On Sustainability and Apparel

We hope you have enjoyed the insights and will use the information you’ve learned through our SewTrue Virtual Event panel videos to change your wardrobe and develop a sustainable clothing mindset. The panelists emphasized that the most sustainable thing you can do is reduce your consumption. After that, they advised selecting brands and product lines with options that are ethically produced using sustainable practices. Below are some links for further education and resources about apparel and the fast fashion industry.

May 2020 Cooper Newsletter

So much news to share from the Cooper Center! Cooper gets a new website, our education team pivots to digital, we receive a $25,000 CORE grant and more!

Apparel and Sustainability - Virtual Event and Film Screening

University of Arizona students are invited to participate in our SewTrue Virtual Event centered on educating our community about environmental sustainability and the apparel industry.

A Cooper Center Update From Colin

Traditionally we hold our big crowdfunding campaign in April, raising more than $30,000 for operations and staffing. Given all that’s going on right now, we feel it’s better to wait until the current crisis is over.  In the meantime we will be hard at work creating online content, supporting students and teachers, and planning for the year to come.

Cooper Center Connects With Gates Pass Neighbors

Over 20 participants enjoyed breakfast at Camp Cooper, a special Earthkeepers activity and a question and answer session with director Colin Waite.