In a nod to educational outreach in underserved areas, Robert and Allison Price, through private family foundation Price Philanthropies, have donated $6 million to UCSD’s Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The gift will establish the Price Philanthropies Ocean Science Education Fund, an education outreach program in ocean and earth science. The resource is designed to expand access to the aquarium’s current outreach programs and to support development of new programs for students throughout San Diego County. The gift is the largest to the aquarium since the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation gave $6 million in 1986 to fund the then-new 31,000-square-foot aquarium and ocean science center at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “Our primary interest in our philanthropy is supporting families, and particularly youth, in disadvantaged or challenged communities,” Robert Price said. “So the gift is really intended to make it possible for children to take advantage of this wonderful Birch Aquarium resource, hopefully to become excited about marine biology and protecting the environment… and get a bigger picture of the world. “One of the real shortcomings for children… ,” he added, “is the lack of opportunity to have exposure to cultural institutions as well as museums and science resources.” “Children,” Allison Price added, “are the future stewards of our land and our oceans. The more educated our young people are, the better chance we have of maintaining our environment. You never know who’s going to be the next scientist that’s going to discover something. It makes us feel so good to see young people getting excited. It’s worth so much just to see their faces and see the excitement.” The outreach education program, funded in part by the Price Philanthropies endowment, will include delivery of existing outreach programs through specially equipped vans to up to 420 classes in underserved schools; engagement of 30 classes of 6th-grade students in underserved schools in the first year, and up to 60 classes in subsequent years, in a multi-day beach science program; and implementation of a Scripps Institute of Oceanography college course that trains students in the science of education and communication. Birch Aquarium features more than 60 habitats of fish and invertebrates from the waters of the Pacific Northwest to Mexico and beyond. The venue has an annual attendance of more than 420,000, including 40,000 schoolchildren.
