OCEANSIDE — The Prebys Foundation awarded MiraCosta College a $116,500 grant to create a project that aims to improve the mental health and wellness of formerly incarcerated and marginalized students through hands-on, outdoor experiences.
The grant is among $5.2 million that The Prebys Foundation awarded 59 nonprofits across San Diego for its “Healing Through the Arts and Nature” initiative, which seeks to offer proactive ways to enhance quality of life after the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the foundation, growing evidence shows that spending time in nature and engaging with the arts can reduce social isolation, improve mental health and foster a stronger sense of community.
“By investing in this initiative, we are working with an exceptional array of organizations to harness San Diego’s unique natural and artistic resources on behalf of resilience and well-being,” said Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant.
MiraCosta College’s grant will be used to create the Seeding Justice Empowerment Circles project, targeting formerly incarcerated students, low-income students, foster youth, veterans and students of color – populations that often face limited access to green spaces in their communities.
The project will offer immersive natural experiences, particularly within MiraCosta College’s Roots of Justice community garden. Students will engage with agriculture and learn about drawing connections between nature, sustainability, environmental stewardship and personal growth.
The students will participate in two-hour, peer-led empowerment circle sessions held twice each semester facilitated by student staff members from the Roots of Justice project, which combines gardening practices with mental wellness and career education.
MiraCosta College has a longstanding commitment to outdoor education. Its Horticulture Program, which enrolls about 400 students annually, hosts community events such as Future Farmers of America Field Days. The Child Development Center also incorporates nature-based learning through its Outdoor Classroom Project.
