Whale Tail, of the California Coastal Commission, provides funding for outdoor education for Canal Alliance students 

Access to the great outdoors – and the many benefits time in nature affords – is a privilege. As Canal Alliance works to close the achievement gap for students participating in our University Prep! (UP!) program, closing the environmental equity gap is a central piece of our work. 

Our students – many of whom are working to recover from immigration trauma or living in overcrowded apartments here in the Canal neighborhood – deserve access to the great outdoors, and the serenity it provides, more than anyone. This year, thanks in part to $42,700 in funding from Whale Tail, a project of the California Coastal Commission, our students will again enjoy six trips per academic year to the region’s most beautiful coastal areas, plus one end-of-year family celebration for students and their families to enjoy the outdoors together. 

These trips also pave the way for the next generation of environmental stewards. Exploring nature also affords UP! students with exposure to new career paths and job possibilities for their future. Ria Espinoza, a former UP! student who is now employed by Pt. Reyes National Seashore, indeed credits her chosen career path with a field trip she took during her time UP!  That one field trip was all she needed to know: the great outdoors were her calling.