On May 16, 2012, The Children’s Nature Institute will hold its annual Gala Dinner “Celebrating A World of Wonder” at the Skirball Cultural Center. As part of the festivities, CNI will be honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to further educational opportunities for underserved children throughout Los Angeles County.
The Children’s Nature Institute (CNI) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity that improves academic performance and inspires environmental stewardship through direct experiences with nature. CNI is the only organization in Los Angeles that focuses exclusively on environmental education for young children during their most impressionable years: birth through age eight.
For 27 years, CNI has been at the forefront of the movement to get children outside to learn and explore and in so doing, care about the environment. Since then, they have served more than 300,000 children, their parents and teachers in the Greater Los Angeles Area. CNI’s focus is on reaching disadvantaged children in underserved communities to share with them the wonder of nature as a tool for personal growth, academic achievement and community building.
CNI is also the green arm of the Magnolia Place Community Initiative that serves 35,000 children and parents residing in the Initiatives 500 block catchment area of dense, low-income, multi-ethnic Los Angeles neighborhoods.
This year, CNI will be honoring actress and environmentalist, Daphne Zuniga; Alexa Boghosian and the GreenTeens from Marlborough School; The Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation; and Kimberly Freeman, Director of Community Relations, Southern California Gas Company.
All proceeds from the Gala will go directly to CNI’s three-part Nature Discovery Program offered free of charge to qualifying public schools throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area.

Click here to purchase Gala tickets online.