Cooper Center for Environmental Learning gets a good night's sleep with help from the Rincon Rotary.

Constantinos Manoli with Rincon Rotarian Bekah Taylor and students all enjoying outdoor learning at the Cooper Center.

Constantinos Manoli, the assistant director of TUSD's Cooper Center for Environmental Learning, wrote a grant on RotaryLOCAL.org requesting funds to replace mattresses covers in the Center's overnight cabins. The Cooper Center is a unique outdoor learning environment:

At the Center, students learn about the Sonoran Desert Ecosystem, develop positive environmental feelings and and learn about different ways to lessen their impact on the natural environment. Thus, we strive to provide a positive learning experience for the students, some of which could be encountering the Sonoran Desert for the first time, and produce environmentally literate and responsible citizens.

The Rincon Rotary recognizes that learning takes place in many environments and that nature indeed provides these benefits. We appreciated that the covers would be used for years and would benefit hundreds of students.

Rincon Rotary's support is part of its Rotary LOCAL program, whose mission is to help improve the local community through educational outreach. Rotary Local can provide manpower, resources from local business partners, or in some cases, direct financial support to teachers who apply for assistance.

To find out more about Rotary Local and how it may be able to help you, go to rotarylocal.org. Primary support for Rotary LOCAL comes from the RIncon Rotary's annual fundraiser, The Tucson Taste of Chocolate