(LOS ANGELES) – Leonardo DiCaprio announced Tuesday that he would sponsor scholarships and a climate education program at the UCLA-based elementary school where he was once a scholarship student.
The Leonardo DiCaprio Scholarship Fund and the Climate Justice Education Programme are slated to launch at the UCLA Lab academic in 2018.
“I was fortunate enough to attend the Lab School due to the generous contributions of UCLA donors, and my experience profoundly transformed my worldview,” DiCaprio said in an Associated Press statement. “I am honoured to have the opportunity to share my experience with those who would otherwise miss out on this opportunity, as well as to contribute to the development of a programme that will help guide the next generation of climate warriors.”
The school aims to provide unique instructional strategies for its kids, ages 4 to 12, that outside teachers can study.
DiCaprio’s scholarship fund will provide financial aid to kids in need, similar to what he received as a youngster when he attended the school in the 1980s and will assist the institution in maintaining the diversity it desires. Approximately 40% of its pupils require financial assistance.
Leonardo DiCaprio announced Tuesday that he would sponsor scholarships and a climate education program at the UCLA-based elementary school where he was once a scholarship student.
Leonardo DiCaprio announced Tuesday that he would sponsor scholarships and a climate education program at the UCLA-based elementary school where he was once a scholarship student.“This scholarship fund will provide many children with access to UCLA Lab School, just as Leo had,” said Dr. Eric Esrailian, a professor at UCLA’s Health Sciences department and DiCaprio’s lifelong friend.
The new climate education program will aim to teach pre-kindergarten through sixth grade students about the science of climate change and the policies and leadership required to address it.
The school has attempted to exploit its location on the Los Angeles University campus, close to a creek surrounded by redwoods, to become a hands-on site for environmental education.
DiCaprio, 48, has long been a vocal proponent of solving the climate crisis.
The program, according to Esrailian, “will position children — both at the Lab School and beyond — for a more sustainable and healthy life for themselves and our planet.”
The sum of the donations behind the programs has yet to be made public, but officials have stated that generations of pupils will benefit.
“Expanding access to high-quality education and helping young people recognise the need to protect our planet are critical goals for our institution,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block.
DiCaprio, the Oscar-winning star of “Titanic,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “The Revenant,” and “The Departed,” will next participate in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
SOURCE – (AP)
