Adopt-A-Class Sponsors

Bringing History to Life for a California Fourth Grader

The Mission 'Adopt-A-Class Program' was spearheaded in 2005 to help low-income children to be able to take part in the fun and learning that a fild trip to Mission San Juan Capistrano can provide. The Mission's docents provide guided tours to the over 100,000 school children who visit annually, however, with school funding being limited, a field trip is often too expensive.

The vision behind the 'Adopt-A-Class Program' is to create a pool of restricted funds that allow the Mission to provide free tours based upon a school's financial need. Teachers from Title 1 (low income) schools can contact the Mission's Visitor Center at (949) 234-1300, and request an 'Adopt-A-Class' tour. Teachers will be asked to provide in writing information to support that their school does not have the necessary funds to enjoy a field trip to the Mission. If the school is interested in securing funding for one of the education programs (such as Journeys to the Past, Making the Grade or Mission Matters), please indicate that as well.

The Mission Preservation Foundation encourages all schools to book tours in the Fall when there is more availability. To date over 1,386 students have been 'adopted' by generous supporters.

How to Apply for the Program

To apply for the Mission's Adopt-A-Class program please mail or email a letter addressed to the Mission's Visitor Center -
Attention: Adopt-A-Class with the following information.

• School contact information
• Letter stating your needs including number or people in group and if transportation is needed. Letter must be on school letterhead
• Details of the percent of students on the free or reduced lunch program
• Your contact information

After this information is received, it is reviewed with the Executive Director and a determination of funding available vs the funding needed by your school. We cannot consider your school until the complete proposal is received.

A determination letter will be sent to you with the decision of whether the Mission is able to cover all; part or none of the field trip. The decision is based largely on the proposal completeness and percent of students receiving a free or reduced cost lunch.

It is recommended that Adopt-A-Class applications be sent in no later than January 1st. No Adopt-A-Class tours will be scheduled for the months of May and June.

Adopt-A-Class schools visiting in the 2007-08 school year:

November 28, 2007 - 112th Street, Los Angeles
December 6, 2007 - Saturn Elementary, Los Angeles
February 13, 2008 - University High School, Irvine
February 27, 2008 - Bryant Elementary, Long Beach
March 12, 2008 - 24th Street Elementary, Los Angeles
April 7, 2008 - Thorman Elementary, Tustin
April 16, 2008 - Liberty Elementary, Riverside
May 12, 2008 – Ceres Elementary, Whittier
May 30, 2008 – Olive Elementary, Vista
June 2, 2008 - Loara Elementary, Anaheim
June 6, 2008 - Viejo Elementary, Mission Viejo
June 9, 2008 – Ira Harbison, National City

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