School Scholarship Program

Since its inception in 2000, the School Scholarship Program has provided over 60,000 students and teachers from low-income K-12 schools with free access to the Fleet Science Center.

Current studies of science proficiency in our schools have found a wide gap between the scores of high and low-income students. This holds true at the national, state, and local levels.

As Dr. Jeffrey Kirsch, executive director at the Fleet Science Center, points out, “It is clear that students from low-income communities in San Diego are at a disadvantage when it comes to science education, and this program is one of our most successful efforts addressing this ongoing need.”

Field trips arranged through the School Scholarship Program provide school groups with a memorable, crystallizing moment for a year of studying science in the classroom. Whether it is time spent in interactive exhibit galleries, an IMAX film, a planetarium show, a hands-on science workshop, or flying a mock shuttle mission in the Challenger Learning Center, the Fleet Science Center helps students realize that science education is cool, fun, and accessible.

A field trip through the School Scholarship Program may be the first time a San Diego student visits Balboa Park. At the Fleet Science Center the natural enthusiasm for the field trip is transformed into an enthusiasm for scientific exploration.

The Fleet Science Center is only able to offer these services for free as funding allows. All donations made to the School Scholarship Program directly benefit low-income school groups that would not otherwise be able to participate in the Fleet Science Center’s educational services.

Thank you for helping us inspire those who need it most. If you are interested in making a donation to the School Scholarship Program please contact Associate Director of Development, at (619) 685-5749 or by Contacting Us.

The School Scholarship Program is open to schools within San Diego County with a 60% or higher student enrollment in the national free and reduced lunch program. There are currently 227 schools in San Diego County that meet these criteria, representing more than 140,000 students.

If you are a teacher from a low-income school site in San Diego County, and are interested in finding out if funding is available for your class, please call (619) 238-1233 ext. 806.

The Schoolar Scholarship Program is made possible by the following generous donors.

Our heartfelt appreciation is extended to these contributors for their kind support.

$10,000 and above

• Genentech
• QUALCOMM, Incorporated
• The Rice Family Foundation
• Sempra Energy
• Wells Fargo Foundation

$5,000 - $9,999

• Boys and Girls Foundation
• Lockheed Martin

$1,000 - $4,999

• Carol and Jeffrey Chang
• Pamela Fair and Glen Sullivan
• Sarah and Dan Fleet
• Lori Fleet-Martin and Michael Martin
• Jeffrey and Joy Kirsch
• Judy and Allen Moffson
• Darush and Nasrin Mohyi
• Nordson Corporation Foundation
• Christine and Gary Phillips
• Miyo and Mitchell Reff
• Reuben H. Fleet Foundation Fund TSDF
• Rita and John Waters
• Chuck and Judy Wheatley

$500 - $999

• Bill and Pat Bleha
• Kimberly and Craig Blower
• Blayn and Ariane Broderson
• Perla and Robert Brownlie
• Debora Buljat
• Ellen and George Casey
• Dalin and Chrystal Cienfuegos
• Rochele and Dave Doehr
• Berit and Tom Durler
• Suzanna and James Earwicker
• David A. Eccles
• Kelsey and Robert Feinstein
• Robert H. Fleet
• Grant and Kathy Frost
• Jeanne and Eric Fullerton
• Denise and James Garrett
• Dawn and Matt Grob
• Robert Hardacker
• Katherine and Chuck Hope
• Thomas and Mary Beth Hull
• Robert and Jena Joyce
• Amir and Neda Karam
• Julie and Tom Karlo
• Alex Kim
• Ellen and Gordon Knight
• Sandra and Karl Komenda
• Drew and Leanna Lyon
• Gay S. McDonald
• Eric and Laura Michelsen
• Cdr. Robert E. Morris USN (Ret.)
• Vida and Gene Murray
• Paul Nierman and Deborah Horwitz
• Gary Osborne and June Lewis-Osborne
• Mihir and Keerti Parikh
• Mchele and Darren Richardon
• Siri Riiber and Grant Kingsbury
• Matthew and Jaqueline Rimel
• Nancy Robertson and Mark Cookingham
• Joan and Maurice Sabado
• William Schuyler
• Alex and Melissa Tomlinson
• Barbara Vance
• Allyson Vanderford and Adam Evans
• Nellwyn Voorhies
• Katharine Sheehan and Frederick Walker
• Rachel York

Donors for fiscal year 2010 (July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010)