We're Committed to Learn by Doing.  Are you?

In 2009, 11 innovative agriculture leaders who recognize the distinct advantage of a hands-on education came together to form the Learn by Doing Endowment to support the college’s renowned tradition of excellence. These generous philanthropists are committed to supporting the next generation of students and ensuring the future for Learn by Doing in the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences (CAFES). Each founding member donated a gift of $100,000 to create a fund of $1.1 million that is used to multiply the impact of their original gifts through matching endowments. 

Due to the available matching funds from the generous founding members, you can establish a $25,000 CAFES Learn by Doing Endowment for only $12,500*. Now you have the opportunity to pay it forward and honor yourself or a designee in perpetuity. 

View Learn By Doing Fact Sheet

“Through their hands-on polytechnic education, Cal Poly students graduate with more pertinent real-world experience than many of their counterparts.”

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“Learn by Doing means getting your hands dirty and your mind engaged.
I’m proud to support the future leaders in this industry.”
 

Learn by Doing

Every day in the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences, students are inspired by what they experience in labs, enterprise classes, senior projects, special problems courses and more. Some of those valuable experiences include:

• A new 14 musculo-skeletal specimen lab for anatomy and physiology in animal science courses
• New chocolate molds and immersion blenders for food science production labs
• Tank fermenters for use in wine and viticulture undergraduate research and senior projects
• Dissecting microscopes for the plant pathology lab and postharvest research lab in horticulture and crop science classes
• Hand-held measuring instruments, such as clinometers, compasses and diameter tapes used in all GIS (geographic information systems) courses taught at Cal Poly, the majority of which are led by natural resources management and environmental sciences faculty
• Scholarships for students to attend conferences and competitions, including the Agriculture Future of America’s Annual Leaders Conference

Join these generous Founding Members in support of Cal Poly's Learn by Doing experiences

Steve Barnard
(’75 Agricultural Business)
Mission Produce, Inc.

 

Charles and Diane Harrington
(’81 Agricultural Engineering; ’81 Ornamental Horticulture / '83 MS Agriculture)

 

Richard and Kathleen Zacky (’79 Poultry Industry;
’80 Food Science)

 

Al and Gail Montna
(’67 Farm Management;
’67 Home Economics)
Montna Farms

 

Rick and Tonya Antle
 (’79 Crop Science)
Tanimura and Antle, Inc.

 

The James G. Boswell Foundation

Mitchell W. Metzler
RCO Ag Credit, Inc/Glenn N Janzen

 

John and Sheila Lake
Rain for Rent

 

Bob and Leslie Taylor
The Oreggia Family Foundation
Foundation Trustee

 

John and Carol Salmonson
(’67 Crop Science)
Monterey Ag Resources

 

Ed and Rosa Boutonnet
(’62 Crop Science)
Ocean Mist Farms

We’d like to say a special thanks to the following who have taken the challenge and created Learn by Doing Endowments through this program. 

Give Now to the Learn by Doing Endowment fund.

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