Dear Friends,

There's nowhere quite like California in the springtime: warm days, clear skies, and green hillsides abound. It's the perfect time of year to get out of the house and visit one of our state's 21 historic missions! Visit our website to find the mission nearest to you. Why not pack a lunch and make a day of it?

In this newsletter, we have a report on our educational program, "All Aboard the Bus." By helping disadvantaged schools arrange field trips to several California missions, we're providing the sort of cultural enrichment that is often lacking in these days of drastic budget cuts. We're extremely proud of what we've achieved, and we look forward to expanding the program in the future. Read below for more information, along with photos and quotes from teachers and students.

Also below, you'll find a brief report on our spring Board meeting, which was held at Mission San Antonio de Padua.

And finally, we've recently released our Annual Report for 2010. It covers our major activities for last year, as well as information on grants, etc. You can click the image below to view a PDF version of the Annual Report:

"All Aboard the Bus" Program Puts Kids in Touch with History   

Thanks to a very generous $22,000 grant from the William H. Hannon Foundation, CMF has been able to greatly expand the reach of our "All Aboard the Bus" program for 2011. Now in its fifth year, "All Aboard the Bus" is our primary educational outreach program, making funds available for fourth grade students and their teachers to visit California's historic missions.

This year, "All Aboard the Bus" will allow 4,200 students and 450 adult chaperones from 44 L.A. area schools to visit Missions San Gabriel, San Fernando, San Juan Capistrano, and La Purisima. In addition to giving money for bus transportation, the California Missions Foundation also provides teaching materials to the fourth grade teachers.

We firmly believe that the experience of visiting a mission in person makes a real difference for students, helping them see the missions' critical place in California's history. We are particularly pleased that most of the participating schools are Title 1 schools, whose students generally could not afford to visit a mission.  

Here are a few quotes from teachers and students who have benefited from CMF's "All Aboard the Bus" program:

"The trip to San Gabriel Mission would not have been possible without your organization's contribution. Our school is located in a lower income part of Los Angeles, and our funds are very limited. This trip was very helpful and meaningful to our students." (Leah Losser, Wisdom Academy for Young Scientists)

"Thank you for your generosity. Our trip to San Gabriel Mission was a success! We were assigned a very informed and prepared docent, who kept the students' attention throughout the tour. Because of budget cuts, your contribution allowed us to take this trip." (Connie Padilla, Capistrano Elementary School)

"When you gave us the tour, I learned a lot about the kitchen and how to make wines. I learned the names of the bells, which were awesome. I liked the cannons, especially the big one. I am very, very grateful." (Fourth grader whose class visited Mission San Gabriel)

"The materials provided were very helpful. The students enjoyed learning about the California missions and were able to relate their assignments and projects with a real live mission. Thank you so much for such a great and wonderful experience for the students and for myself." (Delia Cuevas, St. Aloysius School)

"The 4th grade staff and students are so thankful for our field trip grant! This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to get a close-up view of our California history, and we could not have done it without you.We love our new posters and learning kits, too!" (Del Rosa Elementary School)

As you see, "All Aboard the Bus" has been a great success. You can help us expand the program to the Central Coast and Bay Area by sponsoring a school's visit to a mission. Contact the CMF office at info@californiamissionsfoundation.org or 831.622.7500 to make a personal connection with a school. Costs range from $400 to $1,400.

CMF Board Visits Mission San Antonio for March Meeting   

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