News

September 2022 Newsletter

We are so excited for our event tonight! We're taking over the Children's Museum and you're invited to join us for an incredible night of fun activities, music, food, and more.
Grab some dinner, drinks, and dessert from food trucks. Then, vibe to the Desert Music Project playing in the courtyard at 6 p.m., next let the kids explore the museum to learn more about our Sonoran desert with stories, games, and activities. Mr. Nature will perform at 7 p.m. inside the museum to round out the evening...

Land as Pedagogy

On behalf of the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (ITEP) and the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning at the University of Arizona, we would like to invite you to participate in a year-long professional development, Land As Pedagogy, series.

Cooper Center Welcomes Dean Berry to Camp

Cooper Center welcomes Dean Berry to camp! Director Colin and former Dean Bruce Johnson gave the new dean a tour of Camp Cooper this week, met our staff, and discussed the history and vision of the Cooper Center. It was Dean Berry's first visit to camp where he...

You Did It! Give the Desert was a SUCCESS! THANK YOU!!

Our September crowdfunding campaign 'Give the Desert' has come to an end and we were successful in raising $30k to fund our staff and programs for the 2022-2023 school year! We reached our goal and then some, ending the campaign with 102% of the goal reached in donations from a total of 104 donors.

Cooper set to break all previous fundraising records

With two days left in our Give the Desert crowdfunding campaign we hit our goal of raising $30,000 for Camp Cooper staff and programs. Now, we can make Cooper history together! Our all-time record was $33k set back in 2018. The response to this year's campaign demonstrates the need and demand for Cooper Center's outdoor classroom and field trips. Crowdfunding allows Cooper to provide this connection to nature to the students of Tucson. In particular, our mission is to provide our educational experiences to Title IX schools and communities who have the least opportunity to grow their love of the environment and the Sonoran desert. We are hoping to set a new fundraising record...

Welcome Back, Campers! First Field Trip of the 2022 Fall Season

We just had our first field trip for the Fall 2022 season and we couldn't be happier to see students back on our trails! Cooper staff have been working on updates to our educational programs, camp improvements and preparing the trails for visitors in preparation for all of our upcoming field trip visitors. Our first class this year is Mrs. Shaloo's 2nd-graders from Dietz K-8 School who explored the desert and discovered rocks, plants, and animals and the many different types of homes our animal friends occupy in the desert. 

DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT NOW!

We want to thank everyone who has already donated to our September crowdfunding campaign 'Give the Desert'. If you didn't have the chance to donate during the event, don't worry! It's not too late to DOUBLE YOUR DOLLARS with Tucson Electric Power's (TEP) Matching Challenge!

Tucson Electric Power has made a commitment to environmental stewardship and education programs throughout the community so you can feel great about taking advantage of this matching bonus to help Camp Cooper.

August 2022 Newsletter

We are so excited for our event tonight! We're taking over the Children's Museum and you're invited to join us for an incredible night of fun activities, music, food, and more. Grab some dinner, drinks, and dessert from food trucks by Gigi's Mexican Peruvian Fusion, Jozarelli's Italian Street Food, and Frozen Delight. Then, vibe to the Desert Music Project playing in the courtyard at 6 p.m., next let the kids explore the museum to learn more about our Sonoran desert with stories, games, and activities. Mr. Nature will perform at 7 p.m. inside the museum to round out the evening! There's also the raffle with some amazing gift baskets you can win.

Thanks for attending Night at the Museum

If we saw you at the Children's Museum on Wednesday night, thank you for attending. We had a ton of fun and hope you did, too! It was a jam-packed evening and we sincerely appreciate each and every one of you for being there. In case you missed it, we livestreamed the entire evening! Watch our livestream video and you can see

Camp Cooper's Night at the Museum

The Cooper Center is taking over the Children's Museum Tucson! Kids can experience stories and activities that highlight the amazing natural world all around us.  when we takeover the Children's Museum! Grab some delicious food and drinks from our food trucks and enjoy live music while children can participate in games, stories, and activities throughout the museum that emphasize the amazing desert all around us! 

Cooper Team visits Tucson Botanical Gardens

Connecting with nature is not just something we preach at the Cooper Center, we also practice it. Our team was recently invited to visit the Tucson Botanical Gardens to tour the grounds with Director of Horticulture, Adam Farrell-Wortman. It was amazing to see the work that Adam has put into every corner of the gardens. As we toured through the various sections highlighting different ecosystems and biodiversity, each member of our team jumped at the chance to experience the diverse range of botanical scents, colors, and textures on display. 

Now Scheduling Field Trips for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023

Teachers! Sign-up now for Camp Cooper Fall 2022/Spring 2023 field trips! Every year, the Cooper Center provides our outdoor desert education programs to thousands of students and our calendar tends to fill up! We're also offering a limited number of school visits and virtual field trips for those who are unsure about in-person experiences at Camp Cooper. Don’t miss your chance to bring your students to experience our Sonoran Desert classroom!