In February, Samy’s Camera Outreach donated a photography workshop and memory cards to the Irvine Public Schools Foundation’s annual Enrichment Day. Proceeds went to their Innovative Grants program, providing funding directly to teachers for innovative teaching methods.
IPSF’s Enrichment Day is a full day of exciting classes for Irvine public school students, offered twice a year on a school holiday. This event provides students with a variety of engaging and fun subjects that may not be offered in their regular classroom. I chatted with instructors in Cartooning, Breakdancing, and Pre-Med animal dissection!
Just like Samy’s Camera, IPSF believes that every student deserves educational access to art and science programs. They, too, want to “foster the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and creators (IPSF.net).”
IPSF has much to be proud of — in 2017 IPSF donated over $5.5 million in grants, donations, and program services to the Irvine United School District, helping IUSD to be ranked #1 in California amongst K-12 education. IPSF’s donations achieve a number of goals. They fund teaching assistants, to allow for small learning groups in overcrowded classrooms. They fund music education during the school day, which has been cut at many California schools. To improve health and wellness, IPSF funds additional school nurses and athletic trainers. To bolster STEAM education, IPSF offers programs and annual events that expose young learners to real-world applications and career exploration opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. In addition, IPSF awarded more than $325,000 in Innovative Grants, expanded enrollment in Summer Enrichment by 20%, and kicked off the second mission of the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program, one of only 32 organizations selected by NASA to participate in a future launch mission.
It was a joy to help IPSF with their mission. On a beautiful day at the gorgeous Creekside High School campus, an enthusiastic class of 2-3rd graders got to try their hand at Fashion, Food, and Sports Photography. I witnessed so much creativity, heard so many giggles. It was a day of happy, hands-on arts education. Students went home with a smile, a favorite specialty of photography, and a memory card to share their beautiful images with friends and family.
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