Celebrate Urban Birds

Celebrate Urban Birds (CUBS) makes a powerful difference in the lives of low-income youth by connecting them to nature, in ways unavailable to them in urban and underserved areas, and highlights careers in conservation science. We’ve brought more than 500 low-income inner-city youth and community leaders to the Lab over the last five years. We provide full scholarships for youth to attend these workshops and experience nature.

Below are quotes from past student participants:

“I loved it every time even more… each part of the workshop woke up in me the desire to discover new things, to move to action, to dream, but with the certainty that those dreams and plans (for the future) can become true.”

“The workshop overcame my expectations; it has been one of the most enlightening and inspiring experiences that I have ever had. Thank you for this opportunity!”

Our evaluation results show that:

• Following the workshop, participants have increased interest and confidence in attending a university and pursuing a science career.
• They experience a change in perception regarding what science is, what it might be like to attend university, what they can do with their lives, and how they can have an impact in their neighborhoods.
• We have seen significant evidence that the workshops increase leadership skills of the youth participants.