Your Name:: Denise Wilkerson
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Your Birthday:: Jun 14th, 1961
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Zip or Postal Code:: 76013
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Phone:: (817) 832-3859
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Cause Name:: Environmental Education
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Category:: Education
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Related Nonprofit Organization:: River Legacy Foundation
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Which city will benefit most from this cause?: Arlington
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Which state/province would your cause have the most impact?: Texas
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How much does your cause focus on an unmet need of the community?: Since it was built in 1996 in collaboration with the Arlington Parks Department, the River Legacy Foundation has educated over 200,000 North Texas students through its environmental education programs. Our Living Science Center offers a range of environmental education programs, including Field Investigations for the local school districts, public programs and festivals, summer classes, pre-school, home school and after-school classes. The building's exhibits are key in its mission to educate students and other visitors about the surroundin! g habitats, challenging them to become environmental stewards in their communities. After 18 years of service, the classrooms and interactive displays in the Living Science Center are dated, require frequent repairs, and need to be renovated in order to maximize usability. Evidence-based research indicates that children who are connected to the natural world and are active outdoors lead healthier, happier lives and even perform better in school.
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How would $25,000 support your cause?: New museum-quality interactive education displays will allow River Legacy Foundation to better connect tomorrow's environmental stewards with the natural world. The Science TEKS places increased emphasis on hands-on investigations and field experiences, making River Legacy programs more important than ever. Renovated exhibits in the Living Science Center will reinforce environmental concepts of our curriculums and expose more North Texans to information about protecting our watersheds and thereby our natural resources. All AISD Title 1 second graders attend Field Inve! stigations at River Legacy. We determined that it was necessary to provide this early additional training for the students in the Title 1 schools so that they could fully participate in the Field Investigations as fourth graders. All AISD fourth graders participate in Field Investigations including the 70% who attend Title 1 schools. First-hand educational experiences in nature help kids learn and improve their scores.
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How much of a lasting impact on your community will your cause have?: River Legacy Parks and the Living Science Center were created as part of a broader vision for our community to promote healthy habits for both children and adults. Starting with our very youngest students, River Legacy offers children, in the words of environmental educator David Sobel, "an opportunity to bond with the natural world, to learn to love it and feel comfortable in it, before being asked to heal its wounds." This early connection, tapping into children's inborn fascination with the plants and animals that they enc! ounter, lays the foundation for a lifetime of environmental stewardship.River Legacy's hands-on learning adventures invite children to connect with their world on a personal level. Building on their sense of wonder, these connections help them to see the natural world's inhabitants through the same lens as they see themselves and their family and friends, with similar needs, and deserving of the same respect and protection.
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Have you received funding through this program before?:no
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If yes; what has been the impact of that funding?: Blank.
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The age group most in need of community involvement is:: 0 - 18
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What inspired you to submit this cause? : It is important to me to support my local community and its specific needs.
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What else (other than funding) would most benefit your cause?: Additional volunteers
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How did you hear about State Farm Neighborhood Assist®: Nonprofit
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