We are postponing our 4/22 groundbreaking event.
We hope to reschedule to a date in the not-too-distant future.
Several factors have led to this decision. As you know, we raised more than $579,000 towards construction of our new bathroom facilities, and our project has been out for bid with area contractors for the last three weeks. Skyrocketing construction costs in Southern Arizona have impacted our project, and the bids we received on Monday showed this, ranging from $825,000 to $1.2 million.
Our Cooper team and our architects at Swaim Associates are disheartened by this development, but we are working with our partners at the University of Arizona College of Education and Tucson Unified School District to determine what our options are and if we may still be able to build this summer.
I will be in touch as soon as more information is available. Please contact me if you have any questions, and my apologies for the need to postpone tomorrow’s event on short notice.
Colin Waite
Director, Cooper Center for Environmental Learning
Camp Cooper celebrates a “groundbreaking” year with 3,900 students served and more than $600,000 raised towards facility improvements.
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In spite of moving instruction online, the Cooper Center for Environmental Education brought the values of Earth Day to more than 3,900 Tucson students in educator-led Zoom sessions, representing 27% more students served than the year before.
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Cooper facilities fundraising exceeded expectations, with more than $600,000 raised for sustainable bathroom facility construction to take place this summer.
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An Earth Day Groundbreaking Ceremony will include Dr. Gabriel Trujillo, TUSD Superintendent, Iliana Reyes, Associate Dean of the UArizona College of Education, alongside Cooper Center director Colin Waite and Cooper staff.
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Media guests are invited to attend this socially distanced event, happening at 11:00am on Thursday April 22nd. Raw video footage of speakers general event footage will be provided shortly after the event.
Fulfilling Our Mission In A Challenging Time
While some organizations had to cut services during the pandemic, the Cooper Center managed to find ways to grow by remaining focused on its mission, fundraising goals and thanks to the flexibility and creativity of staff, teachers and students. As a result, the number of students served by live experiences with Camp Cooper educators grew by 27%, from 3,050 in 2019 to 3,900 in 2020. In addition to live sessions, Camp Cooper educators developed a pre-recorded science curriculum for parents and elementary school-aged children to do together at home, reaching an additional 550 families and more than 1,000 students over the last year.
Fundraising To Transform An Aging Camp Cooper
Just as Cooper educators found opportunity to grow their reach in spite of challenges, Cooper Center director Colin Waite and the College of Education Development Director Lee O’Rourke stayed focused on raising funds to begin a 5-7 year renovation of the Camp Cooper facility. A fundraising goal of $500,000 was met and exceeded enabling TUSD to begin long awaited improvements to the aging Camp Cooper facility. Construction of sustainable bathrooms, showers, and a solar-shaded outdoor classroom area will take place this summer.
Partner Spotlight: Tucson Electric Power
A special thanks to Tucson Electric Power for helping to underwrite our solar-shaded classroom, a gateway to outdoor adventures at Camp Cooper.
Tucson Electric Power (TEP) has provided funds to build a solar-shaded outdoor classroom area adjoining our new bathroom & shower complex, which will serve as a gateway to hiking trails where many of our educational programs take place.
"By showcasing solar generation at Camp Cooper we're helping students better understand their sustainable energy options. The partnership between TEP and Cooper Center is an important way for our future customers to see what's possible with cleaner, greener electricity."
Wendy Erica Werden
Manager of Community Investment at Tucson Electric Power
Partner Spotlight: Watershed Management Group
“It is groundbreaking for a larger educational institution like the Cooper Center to choose composting toilets and greywater systems. The scope of Cooper Center’s composting toilet facility to support their day-long and overnight visitor programs is a forward thinking choice that will conserve millions of gallons of water in the decades to come.”
Catlow Shipek
Policy and Technical Director
Watershed Management Group
Partner Spotlight: Tucson Unified School District
“TUSD is excited to support Camp Cooper’s efforts to modernize their facility, starting with improved bathrooms and showers. Even with their rustic facilities, Camp Cooper has inspired tens of thousands of TUSD students over six decades. Now is the time to invest in future generations of Camp Cooper campers by making the Cooper facility accessible to all and comfortable to use.”
Dr. Gabriel Trujillo
Superintendent
Tucson Unified School District
Partner Spotlight: University of Arizona College of Education
“For many years, the University of Arizona College of Education has hosted outdoor experiences at Camp Cooper for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff. Improving Camp Cooper’s aging facilities means, quite simply, that we can inspire more educators and future educators with the kind of hands-on science education and teacher development that Camp Cooper and the Cooper Center are known for.”
Bruce Johnson
Dean, College of Education
Professor, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies
Partner Spotlight: Technicians For Sustainability
"Environmental education is critical for future generations to understand the wonders and complexities of the world they live in. Solar plays a critical role in solving our environmental problems, and TFS is delighted to be working with the Cooper Center team to bring renewable energy to the campus."
Brian Park
Co-Owner, Technicians for Sustainability
Sustainability Stats
2,030
Square feet of space
for bathrooms & showers
Includes 350 sq ft of shaded outdoor classroom gathering space
23,212
Gallons of rainwater
available to direct to vegetation
Includes 5175 gallons harvested off of surrounding hardscape pathways
45
Years of operation with current bathroom facilities
Original Camp Cooper buildings built in the mid 1970s.
+5
Future toilets: 9
Current toilets: 4
Includes 2 wheelchair accessible/family bathrooms
+7
Future showers: 7
Current showers: 0
Includes 1 wheelchair accessible/family shower room
+1
Future urinals: 3
Current urinals: 2
Urinals will be zero-flow water conservation units.
Cooper Center News
