JUPITER, Florida -- December 4, 2012 -- The William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust has awarded Scripps Florida, a division of The Scripps Research Institute, $1 million to support the institute's education outreach programs in Palm Beach County. The grant represents the largest single gift to date in support of Scripps Florida's education outreach efforts.
Building upon seven years of Kenan Trust support, the new four-year grant will run through May 2017 and fund established programs that reach hundreds of students and teachers each year. The funding will also enable the development of new programs, including Spanish-language science lessons for middle school students and a hands-on workshop for middle school teachers.
"As Scripps Florida has grown, so has our capability to reach more students and teachers and connect them with our research scientists," said Deborah Leach-Scampavia, director of education outreach at Scripps Florida. "The generous support we've received from the Kenan Charitable Trust has allowed us to turn that capability into a reality, and we see every day the difference it makes in the lives of young people. We're extremely grateful for the Kenan Trust's continued support and are looking forward to many more years of programs dedicated to inspiring the scientists of tomorrow."
Scripps Florida's outreach programs include: six-week summer research internships for Palm Beach County high school students and science teachers; 10-week summer internships for college undergraduates; science career panels and laboratory tours for high school classes; "Science Saturday" and "Neuroscience Saturday" daylong workshops for Title I high school students; three-day "InSPIRE" teacher workshops for high school science teachers; and the annual "CELLebrate Science with Scripps Florida" community science festival held inside The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens.