The Jarrett Meeker Foundation

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East County Earth Day is our effort to involve community partners in creating outdoor activities and environmental education for youth of all ages and backgrounds. We strongly believe that nature-based education — that is, learning in outdoor environments — helps drive home and give conservation messages weight and reality, a benefit that being outdoors can provide.

Thank you for helping us to make East County Earth Day 2013 another outstanding event! Despite cold weather and some drizzle, together we managed to attract a record number of attendees with initial estimates for total people at the event hovering between 650 and 700.

Imagine what we could have done with a warm sunny day.

The Jarrett Meeker Foundation and the Mt. Helix Park Foundation with to thank the following Sponsors:

Barona

SDG&E

Mark and Connie Allan

Allan Company Recycling

John Hine Mazda

We appreciate the following donors of the “Opportunity Drawing and Auction”

Act II

Adventure 16

All Things Bright and British

Alvarado Institute of Skin Care

Ariana’s Garden

Birch Aquarium

Body Beautiful Car Wash

Chinaberry

Kathy Cooper

Coronado Playhouse

Tex Cornwell

Cygnet Theatre

Dave & Buster’s

Disneyland..Jon Meeker

Fish Market

Great News Cookware & School

H & M Landing

Hornblower Cruises

In n Out Burger

Johnny B’s Burgers & Brew

La Mesa Yoga by Isela

Lido’s Italian Restaurant

Maritime Museum of San Diego

Orfilia Vineyards and Winery

Peak Performance

Peggy Junker

Amanda Kazeni

Reuben H Fleet Science Center

Rubio’s Restaurant, Inc

San Diego Chargers

San Diego Coaster Company

San Diego Museum of Man

San Diego Natural History Museum

San Diego Repertory Theatre

San Diego Zoo Global

San Pasqual Winery

Sea World

SV Youth & Family Coalition

Lisa Stewart

Sycuan Resort

Gerald Tietje

United States Tang Soo Do

Each of our programs is designed to meet the needs of our students through hands-on interactive learning strategies and in correlation with the California State standard based curriculum.

Education in the Environment: An authentic overnight tent camping experience in a natural environment for underserved and ethnically diverse children and young adults throughout San Diego County. The students study and explore the outdoor environment in a thrilling and adventurous learning experience. This experience helps re-connect students to our natural world and fosters the desire to be good stewards of the environment. It is time to recapture an essential part of childhood outdoor play.

The outdoor experience includes singing around the campfire, making smores, astronomy, hikes, learning about native Americans’ traditional way of life, nature related learning stations, activities, and crafts.

Studies from the National Wildlife  Federation show that children benefit greatly through participation in activities that bring them in contact with the natural world.  Children grow lean and strong, enhances creativity and attention spans, decreases aggression, and boosts classroom performance.  Bottom line – healthier and happier kids.

•     More Creative: Outdoor kids are more likely to use their own imaginations, inventions and creativity while playing
•     Brain: Measurably better grades in school.  The healthy bodies and minds that come with outdoor play increase cognitive focus in school
•     Eyes: Improved eyesight.  Recent studies find that kids who get outdoor time have less nearsightedness and need for eye glasses.
•     Smile:  Better at making friends.  Children playing together outdoors relate directly with one another, create games together, choose sides and improve their “people” skills by learning the tools needed for compromise and negotiation.
•     Lungs: A longer lifespan and healthier adult life.  Doctors estimate that sedentary and obese children loose three to five years from their life expectancy
•     Tummy: Trimmer and healthier kids.  An hour of play a day is what doctors say is a basic tool in the effort to ward off childhood obesity and diabetes.
•     Leg/Arm: Stronger bones and lower cancer risk.  Today’s indoor kids don’t get enough sun and are becoming Vitamin D deficient causing health risks.