About Us

I don’t worry about the students that are going to summer camps. I worry about the millions of students who don’t have the resources to go to summer camps.” – Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education

Most parents intuitively know that kids forget a lot of what they learned in school over the summer months. What parents may not realize is how far-reaching the effects of this loss can be.  Researchers note that children lose an average of over two months’ learning from the previous school year. Cumulatively, over the K-12th grades, this counts for three academic years lost!  This phenomenon is known as Summer Learning Loss.

The Challenge

Without summer learning opportunities, children are more likely to drop out, slip between the cracks, and lose the curiosity that is innate to every child. Programs that bridge the achievement gap through enriching summer learning opportunities are essential. The Public Agenda survey in 2009 discovered:

• 87% of parents, who sent their children to summer programs that included academic and enrichment activities, agreed that the programs helped prepare their children for the school year.
• Only a mere 9% of 48 million public school students attend summer school programs.

Our Approach

We align our summer camp curriculum with California State Standards and the Framework for 21st Century Learning to ensure each child’s personal and academic enrichment. With over 1,000 parent surveys completed each summer, our results demonstrate we’re making a difference:

• 9 out of 10 kids taught their families something they learned in our summer camps.
• An average of 93% of children felt a sense of pride from their projects.
• More than half of families surveyed felt confident that their child cultivated new 21st Century skills like curiosity, confidence, kindness, creativity, collaboration, awareness and/or leadership while at camp.

Summer provides a unique opportunity to cultivate all of the skills needed to become life long learners.

Donate today to counter Summer Learning Loss for an underserved child and to support science in schools.

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin

Simply put, hands-on learning is learning by doing. It involves the child in a total learning experience which enhances the child’s ability to think critically. They must plan a process to test a hypothesis, put the process into motion using various hands-on materials, see the process to completion, and then be able to explain the results.

The Challenge

Researchers across the nation are speaking out about California education and the need for hands-on enrichment activities, especially science, for children. Statistics show that:

• “Half of Bay Area 5th graders are failing science proficiency tests. 8 out of 10 K-5th grade multiple-subject teachers reported spending 60 minutes or less per week on science. 16% spend no time at all on science.” – Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley
• “1 in 4 California students lives in poverty and is likely attending a school with reduced funding, larger classes, and fewer instructional materials.”- UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education and Access 2010 Education Opportunity Report.
• “The state’s schools used to be ranked among the nation’s top 10. California schools are now ranked in the low 40s in almost every academic category.” – John Rogers, Professor, UCLA

Our Approach

By leveraging all of our partnerships, curriculum development expertise, and talented staff, we serve the common enrichment goals to more Bay Area families, schools and communities by providing high quality, hands-on and playful learning through our:

• Summer Camp Programs: Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech
• School Year Programs: In Class, After School and School & Community Events
• Giving Program: Through which 5% of all summer camp proceeds and 100% of donations support camper scholarships and subsidize the cost of classroom science programs for schools

Donate today to counter Summer Learning Loss for an underserved child and to support science in schools.

I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

You may have already heard about the Framework for 21st Century Learning through your schools. It’s a model for learning that lays the groundwork for the idea that for kids to be successful, they must be able to innovate, collaborate and possess a wide array of technical and life skills. They must also be conscientious and compassionate citizens.

The Challenge

Kids in today’s quickly-changing world must learn more than just than reading, writing and arithmetic. The 21st Century Life Skills movement refers to a growing global movement to redefine the goals of education, transform how learning is practiced and expand the range of measures in student achievement; all in order to meet the new demands of the 21st Century.

“To be productive contributors to society in our 21st century, you need to be able to quickly learn the core content of a field of knowledge while also mastering a broad portfolio of essentials in learning, innovation, technology, and careers skills needed for work and life” – Trilling & Fadel

Teachers need to move away from the traditional methods of teaching, bring new and innovative approaches into the classroom and prepare students for the jobs that have not yet been created.

Our Approach

When kids experience an Edventure More program, they build 21st Century Skills that extend far beyond 3pm. We call this “The Vibe.” At Edventure More, we’ve incorporated this idea, not only in our curriculum, but also in the development of our Vibe Games. The Edmo Vibe Game and The EdTech Vibe Game allow us – and you – to recognize kids when they exemplify core life skills.

All children can rock the vibe by giving them access to programs like ours and getting them:

• Curious. Start by asking good questions, presenting a challenge, or doing a demonstration that makes them say “Wow! How did you do that?”
• Doing. Through hands-on projects kids actively learn. Like an old Chinese proverb goes: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
• Laughing. Humor creates positive associations with learning. After we make something, we figure out how to turn it into a game. When you play, you laugh. When you laugh, you want to learn more.
• Cooperating. Helping others builds confidence, self-esteem, and teamwork skills, reinforces concepts and teaches them about being good people.
• Inspired. Challenge kids to try new ways to experiment or create at home. Give them resources so they can continue the exploring on their own. Our programs last only a short time; inspiration lasts forever.

Donate today to counter Summer Learning Loss for an underserved child and to support science in schools.

Kimochis…Toys with Feelings Inside

Let’s Go Chipper!™

Let’s Go Chipper!™ Into the Great Outdoors. Let’s Go Chipper is an eco-educational app, DVD, and book series that playfully teaches good character and a love for the environment. Based on 21st Century learning principals, the Let’s Go Chipper series is correlated with an emphasis on science and the environment, arts & literature, and building social and emotional skills.

Children follow Chipper, an overly curious city squirrel and his sidekick, Paisley, on adventures into the great outdoors. Meeting animals and visiting habitats, Chipper and Paisley excite, engage, and educate young children about the wonders of nature and the importance of taking care of the environment while living a healthy lifestyle. Music and humor are infused in stories featuring Bruce, a silly and slimy banana slug; Sally a feisty salmon leading Chipper and friends on an underwater adventure. Elroy, the wise Egret, and the entire cast join together to teach kids to participate in the home and community in the just released book, Helping Hands. To learn more, and earn a park badge go to letsgochipper.com

Playworks

Playworks is a national non-profit organization that transforms schools by providing play and physical activity at recess and throughout the school day. Through their on-site direct service and trainer-led professional development workshops, Playworks restores valuable teaching time, reduces bullying, increases physical activity and improves the school and learning environment.

Playworks’ model integrates the physical, social, and emotional aspects of play into the day. They are the only organization in the country to send enthusiastic, trained adult program coordinators into low-income schools, where they enhance and transform recess and play into a positive experience that helps kids and teachers get the most out of every learning opportunity.

They write the curriculum, we bring it to life! Our partners are the best Bay Area museums, and are dedicated to teaching children (and adults!). Thanks to our collaboration, we’ve created award-winning summer camps, Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech, as well as our School Year Programs. You probably know them, but in case you don’t, we’d love to introduce you to our amazing partners.

The California Academy of Sciences

The Academy‘s mission – to explore, explain and protect the natural world – extends to all corners of the institution; from a research expedition in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, to a teacher training program in a California classroom, to an interactive game on the museum exhibit floor.

The California Academy of Sciences designs the hands-on activities for the natural science week at Camp Edmo and trains all Edmo Science Instructors on how to lead the activities. Become a member of the Academy here.

MOCHA

Since 1988, MOCHA has encouraged hands-on learning in the arts and has promoted the arts as a way to help children of all backgrounds develop as healthy, resourceful and involved citizens. MOCHA promotes the arts as an integral part of strong, vibrant communities. They provide opportunities for children to explore their creativity, design, implement and advocate for hands-on arts education programs, and emphasize outreach to children and families from low-income communities. The mission of MOCHA is to ensure that the arts are a fundamental part of the lives of all children.

MOCHA designs art activities to compliment the science projects for all of Camp Edmo’s Arts & Science themes and trains all Edmo Art Instructors on how to lead the projects with kids.

Children’s Creativity Museum

The Children’s Creativity Museum is an interactive art and technology museum for kids. The museum’s mission is to nurture the 3C’s of 21^st-century skills – Creativity, Collaboration and Communication – in all youth and families.  The Children’s Creativity Museum transforms the way kids learn. They move from the conventional approach of play to one of invention, shifting the focus from media consumption to media production. This approach encourages kids to imagine, create and share.  They also offer programs for educators and parents who play a critical role in building a solid foundation for lifelong learning and creativity.

The Children’s Creativity Museum aids in the design and Instructor training of our weekly Animation camp sessions. Become a member of the Children’s Creativity Museum here.

Exploratorium

The Exploratorium is a museum of science, art, and human perception founded in 1969. The Exploratorium’s mission is to create a culture of learning through innovative environments, programs, and tools that help people nurture their curiosity about the world around them.

From 2004-2011 the Exploratorium was involved in the design of hands-on science activities for Camp Edmo’s Arts & Science themes and led professional development training for Edmo Science Instructors on how to most effectively teach kids through hands-on activities. Edventure More continues to employ the curriculum and methodology developed over the eight year partnership in our programs today.

Their generosity is the cornerstone of everything Edventure More. From grants for our In Class Programs (School Year Programs) to scholarship support for local families and more, our donors are the bridge between “kids need it” and “kids get it!” If you don’t already know the transformative contributions of our partners, we invite you to be inspired by learning more.

Tyler Rigg Foundation

Supports: Give Camp to Kids Program (2010-2011)

Tyler Rigg Foundation was founded in 1996 when Tyler Linfert Rigg was killed tragically in an automobile accident. Tyler was a free spirit and a generous young man who touched many through his kindness, love and loyalty. The Tyler Rigg Foundation is dedicated to honoring Tyler by celebrating his values of kindness, joy and adventure as well as his love of nature. To this end, the foundation supports the charitable interests of the people whose lives Tyler touched and supports organizations that work in the areas of social welfare, alternative education and environmental stewardship.

Tyler Rigg Foundation generously supported camperships for Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech in Summer 2011.

Growing Up for Good (in partnership with Into the Great Outdoors)

Supports: Camp Edmo Camperships (2010 & 2011)

Growing Up for Good connects Bay Area children with opportunities to play in the great outdoors, learn through hands-on approaches, and thrive in the modern world. By partnering with sustainable, family-supportive organizations, Growing Up for Good ensures its programs leave a legacy that is “all good.”

Growing Up for Good has sponsored many in-need families through our Give Camp to Kids Program in 2010 and 2011, and donated 100 “Into the Great Outdoors” activity kits to K-1^st graders in Camp Edmo in Summer 2010.

Fullerton Family Foundation (in partnership with Marin Community Foundation)

Supports: Camp Edmo Marin Camperships (2010 & 2011)

Fullerton Family Foundation, a supporting organization of the Marin Community Foundation, supports new or entrepreneurial approaches and private school scholarships in locations where there are insufficient public school opportunities for low-income students with high achiever skills, special talents, or potential. It also supports vocational education and Bilingualism, especially teaching English-speaking children a second language so they can communicate with other children in their community.

For two years, Fullerton Family Foundation has provided comprehensive support for 20-30 disadvantaged children from the Canal District of San Rafael to experience hands-on arts, science and recreation enrichment at Camp Edmo.

Amgen Foundation
Supports: In Class Program (2010-2011)

The Amgen Foundation seeks to advance science education, improve quality of care and access for patients, and support resources that create sound communities where Amgen staff members live and work. Launched in 1991, the Foundation is an integral component of Amgen’s commitment to dramatically improve people’s lives. To date, the Foundation has contributed more than $140 million to non-profit organizations across the United States, Puerto Rico and Europe.

In the 2010 – 2011 school year, Amgen Foundation supported ICP science presentations in 300 under served K – 5th grade classrooms. The In Class Program improves teacher, student, and parent access to resources, raises science literacy, and inspires the scientists of the next generation.

Union Bank Foundation

Supports: Camp Edmo Camperships (2010)

As part of its 10-year community commitment, Union Bank has pledged 2 percent of its net profit annually to charitable contributions. In 2009, the bank’s charitable investment in our communities totaled $11 million, including $9.8 million in grants, contributions, and sponsorships to help finance the efforts of non-profit organizations within the bank’s marketplace.

In Summer 2010, support from Union Bank Foundation gave camperships to in-need youth in our Marin Camperships program, including providing needed transportation to and from Camp Edmo.

Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund

Supports: In Class Program  (2010 – 2011)

Established in 1992 by Lisa and Douglas Goldman, the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund is a private foundation committed to providing support for charitable organizations that enhance our society. As natives of San Francisco, the Goldmans place a high priority on projects that have a positive impact on the San Francisco community.

In the 2010 – 2011 school year, the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund supported multiple ICP science presentations in 120 under served K-5^th grade classrooms, inspiring science engagement in over 300 children.

Cisco Foundation

Supports: In Class Program  (2009 – 2010)
The Cisco Foundation supports Cisco’s efforts to team with NPO/NGO organizations around the world to develop public investment programs focused on critical human needs, access to education, and economic empowerment. They focus this work on under served communities and look for solutions that harness the power of the Internet and communications technology.

The Cisco Foundation brought hands-on science presentations to over 200 classrooms at reduced/no cost during the 2009 – 2010 school year.

Institute for Family Development International

Supports: Edmobile Winter Camp (2009)

The Institute for Family Development International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals and families through education, training, care for family dependents, and qualitative analysis of social programs.

In Winter 2009, IFDI gave 26 low-income children direct access to the Bay Area’s leading natural science educators – all on a traveling eco-bus!

Collaboration lies at the foundation of success. We are proud to call these community leaders our partners in inspiring the playful pursuit of enrichment for all children. Whether donating countless hours giving one-on-one support to our campership families or highlighting art as stewardship, our partners put their best into our shared goals. Remember these names, because they are each doing good for your families and our neighborhoods.

Kimochis…Toys with Feelings Inside

Blue Orange Games

Back in 2000, two French natives had the novel idea to launch a game company that sells educational, back-to-basic board games using earth-friendly materials. Blue Orange Games believe the simple pleasure that comes from sharing good times with friends and family around a great game is precious. Creating, publishing and promoting quality games is their way of sharing and furthering that belief.

With every game, Blue Orange strives to achieve a balance between challenge and simplicity. Their award-winning games are easy to learn, mentally stimulating and often provoke peals of laughter. At Blue Orange, games need to be fun to play, as well as ensure visual taste and quality. The result are games that delight the senses, spark the imagination, and reinforce critical cognitive processes.

Look for “Spot it”, “Tell Tale” and “Double Shutter” at camp and read more about all of the games from Blue Orange. Also, be sure to check out their latest catalog…

Folkmanis

Folkmanis Puppets believes imagination is the key to a healthy childhood; encouraging play and discovery to develop the skills necessary in life. The company has been making the most innovative and engaging specialty puppets in the world since 1976, delighting imaginations and winning nearly every industry, child development, and kid-tested award – many repeatedly. Puppets encourage imaginative, open-ended play, endearing hugs, and snuggly companionship. You’re sure to see your kids and our staff bringing these new friends to life at camp.

Let’s Go Chipper!™

Let’s Go Chipper!™ Into the Great Outdoors. Let’s Go Chipper is an eco-educational app, DVD, and book series that playfully teaches good character and a love for the environment. Based on 21st Century learning principals, the Let’s Go Chipper series is correlated with an emphasis on science and the environment, arts & literature, and building social and emotional skills.

Children follow Chipper, an overly curious city squirrel and his sidekick, Paisley, on adventures into the great outdoors. Meeting animals and visiting habitats, Chipper and Paisley excite, engage, and educate young children about the wonders of nature and the importance of taking care of the environment while living a healthy lifestyle. Music and humor are infused in stories featuring Bruce, a silly and slimy banana slug; Sally a feisty salmon leading Chipper and friends on an underwater adventure. Elroy, the wise Egret, and the entire cast join together to teach kids to participate in the home and community in the just released book, Helping Hands. To learn more, and earn a park badge go to letsgochipper.com

Sports Basement

Edventure More is very excited about our partnership with Sports Basement that began in 2010.  If you don’t know them, they are a sporting-goods retailer with five locations in the San Francisco Bay Area; in San Francisco at Bryant Street, Old Mason and Union Square, as well as in Walnut Creek and Sunnyvale. Although their stores are huge, they see themselves as a partner in the community too; offering yoga classes, dance lessons, and even snacks and space for our staff trainings!

The best part about our partnership is that Sports Basement has given us 10% off coupons for each time our Camper Families visit their stores – with 10% of purchase proceeds going directly to our Camp Scholarship Program, making sure under served kids get the quality summer enrichment they need and deserve.

Book Pig

We can’t wait to introduce you to the coolest book worms around: Book Pig. Book Pig is just like Netflix – for kid’s books! BookPig offers all the latest kids’ books, for pre-schoolers right up to teens. And they even stocked our first-ever Camp Edmo libraries with theme-related books like “The Mixed Up Chameleon,” “Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes,” and “The Story of Castles.” Just sign up online with your Edventure More discount, build a queue of books you want to read and they’ll deliver your books right to your doorstep. Visit Book Pig at www.bookpig.com to become a book worm today!

As our community partner, Book Pig is giving all Edventure More families 15% off. So be sure to sign up with promo code CAMPEDMZ and enjoy the happy sight of your kids’ noses buried in the best books around.

Canal Family Support Program

The Canal Family Support Program provides educational assistance and enrichment activities that support the cultural, physical and social development of youth in San Rafael’s Canal District. The after-school program provides safe, supervised and appropriate activities including homework help, individual tutoring and enrichment classes.

Parent Services Project

Parent Services Project engages and strengthens families, working in partnership with educators and service providers to take leadership in assuring the well-being of all children, families and communities.

Sea Turtle Restoration Project

The Sea Turtle Restoration Project fights to protect endangered sea turtles in ways that make cultural and economic sense to the communities that share the beaches and waters with these gentle creatures. With offices in California, Texas, and Costa Rica, STRP has been leading the international fight to protect sea turtle populations worldwide.

CNN Fit Nation

Camp Edmo families are special guests at the mini-marathon as part of the CNN Fit Nation events. In our second year, we had 50 Edmo campers running in this 1.2 mile mini-race and participating in the exclusive CNN post-race events.

MacWorld

Young campers turned filmmakers experienced the chance of lifetime as they saw their movies, created at Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech, on screens at Macworld 2010 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Campers were interviewed by NBC, MacWorld Magazine, and KNTV.

Thanks to the diverse skills sets of our Board members, Edventure More is at the forefront of national causes such as reversing Summer Learning Loss and saving Hands-on Learning in budget-strained K-9 classrooms. Our Board’s energy, expertise and passion for enriching the lives of Bay Area children is incomparable.

Eduardo Caballero – Co-Founder & Executive Director, Edventure More

Eduardo knows inspired childhood enrichment from the inside out. From the time he began grade school he has been involved in youth programs, from camping at Stern Grove as a boy, to creating Edventure More’s summer programs, Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech, in 2004 with his business partner, Sharon Mor. After completing his BA from Cornell is Psychology with a minor in Business, Ed flew back to the West Coast to be Assistant Director of a Score! Educational Center. There, he met Sharon and the two formed a fortuitous friendship centered on their love of children and commitment to curiosity-based learning. A dream of creating their own hands-on youth program lived in the background for several years, during which Ed visited family in Columbia and volunteered at an orphanage in Peru. It was here that an email from Sharon acted as the catalyst to forming Edventure More. Ed’s passion for enrichment lives through his work with Edventure More, service on the board of directors of Institute for Family Development International, and volunteering with Charity Focus. He can also wax poetic about his home teams, the Giants and 49ers.

Sharon Mor – Co-Founder & Executive Director, Edventure More

Born and raised in Northern California, Sharon has always looked for ways to combine her love of collaboration with her natural leadership skills. Starting with Tzofim, a Bay Area Israeli youth leadership group in high school, Sharon led youth development, education and mentoring programs for 15 years before co-founding Edventure More with Eduardo Caballero in 2004. Sharon graduated from UCLA with a BA in Sociology. She led mentoring and educational programs as Senior Director of the Santa Clarita branch of Score! Educational Centers, Region Manager at Revolution Prep, and Lead Counselor at Camp Planet Hope. Sharon and Ed’s friendship was born out of a shared love of education and innovation, as well as a dedication to helping kids develop as both students and individuals. Under their guidance, Edventure More has grown from a small summer camp in 2004 to serve 10,000 youth, teachers and emerging educators year-round.

Sharon continues her devotion to personal growth through her practice as a life coach. Through a comprehensive training program, she supports her clients to walk their path with peaceful integrity. In her spare time, Sharon loves to spend her time discovering (and rediscovering) her love for San Francisco. While she’s out hiking, dancing or traveling, you’ll find her laughing, connecting with people, inspiring and being inspired, and most importantly, enjoying the small but meaningful parts of life.

Gillian Cervero – Grants Manager, California HealthCare Foundation

Gillian is a graduate from Loyola Marymount University (LMU), Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. Upon graduation, she returned to the SF Bay Area and demonstrated her commitment to working in the non-profit sector and passion for children by working for 7 years as the primary fundraiser for the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and the Stanford University Medical School Pediatric Program. She later held the position of National Grants Administrator in the Accounting Department for The Trust for Public Land, a renown land conservation non-profit in San Francisco. Currently, she is working at the California Healthcare Foundation in Oakland as the Grants Manager.

Gillian is very community service oriented and passionate about children, women, and health issues. She was active in the LMU Community with her participation in one of the community service organizations as a volunteer elementary school tutor, a children’s speech and language learning center aide, mentor to juvenile delinquents, and volunteer at an AIDS hospice and Rehabilitation Home. She was a Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital volunteer and a former Northern California Grantmakers Summer Youth Project Committee member. She has been involved in the Avon San Francisco Breast Cancer 2-Day Walk, as both a Volunteer and a Walker (and a Top 10 SF Fundraiser for the 2010 Walk). She is an avid runner and has participated in several half-marathons, with a goal of running a full marathon. She also enjoys reading, traveling, musical theater, and dining out.

Yaniv Cohen – Co-founder, CoLab Cooperative

Yaniv received his BS of Computer Science from Cornell University in 1999.  He recently co-founded CoLab Cooperative, which provides cutting edge web design and services in a way that empowers developers to work together as owners, rather than employees or contractors. Previously, he was Director of Information Technology at Human Services Management Corporation, where he oversaw the IT needs of five California offices.  He has also worked as an online programmer at Nolo developing online software to allow people to form their own Limited Liability Corporations. Yaniv serves as a longtime volunteer with Charity Focus, where he organizes community service and educational events.  He has also volunteered for Hamsa Yoga Sangh for 10 years creating online systems for membership management and information dissemination. Yaniv supports Edventure More through a blend of his IT and educational events management skills.

Conor Madigan – CEO, Kateeva

Conor is currently Co-Founder and CEO of Kateeva, a Silicon Valley start-up developing revolutionary manufacturing equipment for the flat panel television industry.  Conor brings to Edventure More a passion for science education fueled by his own positive experiences as a scientist and technology business executive.

Conor started Kateeva following a one-year appointment as a post-doctoral research scientist at MIT in the department of Electrical Engineering. Conor earned a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton and a Ph.D. from MIT, and is the author of numerous publications and patents in fields spanning physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, materials science, and software engineering.  In 2010, he was honored as one of the “TR35”, the list of top young innovators in technology named annually by Technology Review magazine.  In his spare time, Conor is an avid rock climber, martial artist, and culinary experimentalist.

Stephanie Rach-Wilson – Founder and Creative Director IAG Media, Inc.

Stephanie brings 20+ years of marketing experience to IAG Media with expertise in all areas of product strategy including product development and positioning, branding and advertising, public relations and vendor management. Her clients will tell you, having Stephanie on board is like having 7-employees rolled into one power-packed package!

Stephanie was born into a media family; working on the community paper her mother started then graduating into a career that included working with companies like KingWorld productions KNBC, Ortho, Black Star Bear, Starbucks, and Brodia. Working with children is a lifelong love for Stephanie; writing and creating community-based programs that positively influence the physical and emotional well-being of young children is in her DNA. In 2007, Stephanie launched the Let’s Go Chipper series, an eco-educational program that playfully teaches good character and respect for the environment through books, music, movies, apps and outreach events. With a focus on play-based learning, the series has won numerous awards and helped revitalize playgrounds in under served communities. Additionally, her non-profit organization, Growing Up For Good, directly focuses on building positive connections between parent and child with an emphasis on art, music, and connections with nature.

 

Kristin Rothballer – Program Director, Tunitas Creek Ranch

Kristin is a social change leader, with a focus on where care for the planet meets advocacy for equality and justice. She is currently serving as Program Director at Tunitas Creek Ranch, a working farm that hosts educational programs and retreats. She was previously the Managing Director of Green for All, an organization she helped to found, which is working to build an inclusive green economy. Kristin worked for many years as the Director of Programs at Bioneers, where she led efforts to widen participation in ecological and community restoration, particularly among underserved youth. Her background includes non-profit management, teaching, community organizing and marketing strategy, and she consults on organizational development and strategy with non-profits, foundations and social enterprises. Kristin serves on the Board of Trustees for the Tyler Rigg Foundation and is a member of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for the Alemany Farmer’s Market. She lives in San Francisco and Half Moon Bay, CA with her wife Bess, and their cat and dog.

We appreciate the members of our Planning and Advocacy Circle (PAC), formerly called the Parent Advisory Circle who share their time, talents, ideas and support. Thanks to their contributions we are able to best serve your community and add more services and features that parents appreciate.

In recognition of our tremendous growth and in honor of our 10th anniversary, we’ve made several changes to the PAC program. We’ve included the opportunity for teachers to join, dramatically increased the benefits, refined the goals of the program and created tools to help you spread the word about our fantastic services. We changed the name to the “Planning and Advocacy Circle” to better reflect the scope of what PAC members do.

Who are the members of the Planning and Advocacy Circle?

PAC members are the heart of Edventure More.  They are parents and teachers who have seen first-hand what programs have provided for their kids and students, and they provide valuable feedback, spread the word through local education advocacy, online reviews, community announcements, and participate in our upcoming annual fundraising event. In return, members receive many exclusive benefits including one full free week of Camp Edmo or Camp EdTech, two in class presentations for your school and VIP perks.

If you would like to be considered as a candidate for the PAC and schedule an interview, contact our Development Director, Joy Iwasa, at joy@edventuremore.org.

We’d like to thank our generous Giving Circle Members for their tremendous support!

list as of 4/4/13

We had some great Camp Directors in 2012! Come back later this year to see who’s coming back and to check out some new faces!

Current Press

Marin Magazine

Learn about Edventure More Co-Founder and Executive Directorr, Ed Caballero’s own experiences at summer camp.

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Edmo on the Radio

Listen to Edventure More Co-founder and Executive Director, Ed Caballero, talk live with Nikki Thomas on KBLX about Summer Learning Loss and how enrichment camps like Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech help fill the gap.

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Camp Edmo Animation

A sneak peek at the Animation programs at Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech with one of our five year campers. “When I enrolled in Camp Edmo’s Animation camp, I couldn’t wait for the first day to see what my artistic abilities would bring to life.”…

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Environmental Awareness: Trash to Treasures at Edmo in the Park

Camp Edmo (Edmo in the Park) is a non-profit summer camp for kids (pre-Kindergarten to entering 4th grade) that focuses on the outdoors, art, science, animation, and fun! This summer’s program includes “Smart Art” week, where…

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My Story from Camp Edmo

The activities at Camp Edmo are never “typical” but the fun always is….”Smack!” You throw a pie at a counselor’s face and sing the “Edmo” theme song, that is a typical day at Camp Edmo. From the moment I step on the curb, I get excited when I see my counselor in a cape–it must be costume day….

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Marin Mommies

Enriching summer learning opportunities are a must for all children. Summer provides a unique opportunity to cultivate the curiosity, confidence and kindness kids need to become life long learners. At Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech, children build a joyful approach towards learning and develop invaluable life skills.

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M Magazine Bay Area

Summer Learning Loss is the loss of academic skills and knowledge over the course of summer vacation and is proven responsible for 2/3 of the achievement gap between low-income and affluent youth. Reading, math, arts and science are the subjects hit hardest…

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Talk of the Town – Daily Post Palo Alto

Check out why Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech are the Talk of the Town in Palo Alto.

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Talk of the Town June – Daily Post Palo Alto

Everyone’s talking about The Edmo Vibe and the T-Shirt Challenge.

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SF Gate’s Mommy Blog

“Camp offers a whole new world of learning,” says Ed Caballero one of Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech’s co-founders in a recent interview for SF Gate’s Mommy Blog. “Kids are learning for the sheer joy of doing it. They’re exploring out of sheer curiosity. They’re not doing it for a grade.”

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Camp slows Summer Learning Loss

Most parents intuitively know that kids forget a lot of what they learned in school over the summer months. What parents haven’t known is how far-reaching the effects of this loss can be…

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Marina Times

FAMILY MATTERS. Yes, Virginia, you can walk to summer camp! Look at all the great camp options including Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech, that are in walking distance to the Marina….

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Marin Independent-Journal

Teen mentors give special kids a chance to go to camp. At Camp EdTech, for example, held at Larkspur’s Hall Middle School, 13-year-old Lauren worked to create a stop-motion animated film with a group of other campers…

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Edventure More–Celebrating 10 years of supporting Bay Area families, schools & communities!

Whether we call it our Birthday or our Anniversary – Edventure More is turning 10 in 2013! We’re looking forward to sharing the celebration with all the parents, schools and partners who have supported us through the years. We can’t give you all the details on what’s in store yet but keep your eyes peeled for our emails and we promise to let the cat (or better yet, “monkey”) out of the bag soon….

The following letter was sent to Bay Area teachers in September, 2012…

Esteemed Teachers,

As Edventure More embarks on its 10th Year Anniversary in 2013, we want to let you know of a significant funding shift that will positively impact teachers moving forward. As many of you know, we have tried with mixed success over the years to secure external funding to subsidize the cost of our science In Class Programs for teachers. These educational support programs are aligned with CA State Standards and feature one of our enthusiastic guest science presenters leading hands-on experiments in hundreds of Bay Area classrooms.

In past years, when we weren’t able to secure grants, we were forced to charge the at-cost price of $175/class to cover the presenter salary, training, supplies, mileage, prep time, program manager salary and administrative support.

Now in our 10th year of supporting schools and families, we’re taking matters into our own hands. With the money raised from our fee-based Summer Camp Programs, Edventure More will sponsor the first 200 teachers who book an ICP at $50/class. The second 200 teachers will be sponsored at $100/class. The third 200 teachers will be sponsored at $150/class.

We believe this new funding structure 1) will help more teachers afford science enrichment for their classrooms and 2) more adequately reflect the symbiotic relationship that exists between our In Class Programs and Summer Camp Programs. Over 50% of teachers surveyed last year reported recommending Camp Edmo or Camp EdTech to their families. Now, when families choose our camps, they are also choosing to support their schools’ teachers as well.

In our 10th year, we are also supporting teachers by giving them a gift of kindness to pass on to families with financial need. For every 10 teachers from your school that book an ICP program, Edventure More will donate 3 camp scholarship weeks (or “camperships” as we call them) to be awarded by the faculty to deserving students from your school.

Thank you for choosing Edventure More again this year and for helping us change the landscape of enrichment opportunities for schools and families in the Bay Area.

Gratefully,

Ed Caballero & Sharon Mor
Edventure More, Co-Founders