Funding

A HUGE THANKS to all who donated to Fostering Science during the UA Giving Day event! We reached 10 donors within a few hours, which means we will be able to continue offering our Denali camp next year! Thanks especially to match donors Theresa and Andre Reed, and Steve and Elena Sparrow.

Who funds this program?

Primary funding for the Bonanza Creek camp comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF), as part of a grant to the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Site (BNZ-LTER, PI Michelle Mack), and NASA Science Mission Directorate Science Activation, as a part of a grant to the Arctic and Earth SIGNs program (PI Elena Sparrow).

Additional  current support:

• Association of Interior Native Educators covers salary support for some of the instructors and Alaska Native Elders at camp. 

• Denali National Park and Preserve covers our camping costs and provides rangers

• The Doug Schamel Foundation supports food and travel costs for our Denali Science Adventure Camp.

• A National Science Foundation grant supports the pilot of our Bonanza Creek Leaders-in-Training program (through 2024)

Past support

• Alaska EPSCoR provided funding for development of fire fuels learning curricula and an artist in residence for the camp.

• An NSF grant via Evan Kane (Michigan Technological University) aprovided funding for development of new elements.

•  The Salcha - Delta Soil and Water Conservation District have provided instructional support.

•  Alaska Geographic provided funding and support, including instructors, for our Denali Science Adventure Camp in 2019. 

• The Forest Service provided funding in 2019 through their Every Kid in  a Park program to expand our range of activities and provide equipment (such as raingear and rain boots) to campers. 

• The Alaska Songbird Institute provided free programs (including instruction).  

We need help maintaining and expanding our existing programs! Only our Bonanza Creek camp has longterm, sustainable funding. Our Denali camp and our BNZ -Leaders-in-Training programs will soon support in 2025. Most our instructors volunteer most of our time. 

If you can help support our program, please go to our Donate page. 

More information on Giving Day will become available in March. 

Donations will go toward providing gear and expanding the programs so we can provide experiences for more campers and meet the needs of returning campers as they age.

We are very thankful to all of our sponsors for the support they provide, and for the many volunteers who have contributed their great ideas, enthusiasm, and labor.