Dunes Learning Center has received a matching fund grant totaling $125,000 from Legacy Foundation, the community foundation for Lake County, as part of the eighth phase of Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII).
Dunes Learning Center will use the funding to support the Post Graduate Environmental Education Fellowship program.
Inspiring the stewards of tomorrow, Fellows are truly the heart of the education team at Dunes Learning Center. They live, learn and work together on campus inside Indiana Dunes National Park for up to three years. The Fellowship Program includes extensive training on the natural and cultural resources of the Indiana Dunes plus best practices in environmental education with a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts, math, team building, and adventure learning.
Qualifying matching funds raised for the Fellowship program will be eligible for a $1-to-$1 match.
“The impact of this matching grant will help support the Fellowship program in perpetuity,” said Heather Hahn Sullivan, Executive Director of Dunes Learning Center. “As future conservation leaders, Fellows are truly role models for the students who participate in our environmental education programs. Over the years, Fellows have touched the lives of nearly 200,000 students.”
Through GIFT VIII, Legacy Foundation is working to build unrestricted endowments supporting Lake County, to partner with local nonprofits to support community projects and programs, and to build internal capacity. The foundation allocated $1.687 million toward supporting community projects and programs run by Lake County serving nonprofits.
Legacy Foundation President and CEO, Kelly Anoe, said “As trusted stewards of these funds, Legacy Foundation will be partnering with organizations that have a history of providing transformative services to all our Lake County communities, so that we will be able to have a positive impact on each and every resident.”
About Dunes Learning Center
The education partner of Indiana Dunes National Park, Dunes Learning Center delivers place-based outdoor learning experiences to inspire lasting curiosity and stewardship with nature. A catalyst for conservation, Dunes Learning Center connects people with nature and models stewardship by caring for our National Park, promoting sustainable practices, and teaching people about the environment.
Dunes Learning Center helps young people, educators and community members deepen their understanding of the world around them, explore important environmental issues, and see the power they have to make a positive impact on their communities and the planet.
For those growing up in low-income, urban areas with the least amount of access to nature, a strong scholarship program helps break down financial barriers so all kids can get outdoors to explore, connect science with the real world, and discover how they can make a difference. School groups and summer campers who receive scholarship funds to make their outdoor learning experience possible have free and reduced-price meal eligibility far above the Indiana State average of 47% (http://datacenter.kidscount.org). Learn more at www.DunesLearningCenter.org.
About Legacy Foundation
Legacy Foundation is the community foundation for Lake County, Indiana. For over 30 years, we have transformed and empowered the community by providing strategic leadership and impactful philanthropic support to ensure equitable opportunities for every resident that we serve. Offering a personalized approach to giving that enables individuals, families, organizations, and businesses to create a charitable legacy, the foundation has awarded over $50 million in grants and scholarships since its founding in 1992. Governed by a volunteer board of directors representing a diverse spectrum of business, education, and both nonprofit and public sectors, we will continue to create an equitable Lake County where all people thrive. Learn more at www.legacyfdn.org.
