Our Commitment to Public Education
UC Ag & Natural Resources and UC South Coast are committed to providing trusted, research-based information and educational opportunities to youth and adults in and around Orange County. We offer a wide variety of activities through virtual and in-person field days, workshops, U-pick events, field trips, seminars, and tours accessible to the general public.
If you are interested in requesting a custom program, field trip, or reserving any of the facilities at the UC ANR South Coast REC please contact Tammy Majcherek at tjmajcherek@ucanr.edu or Jason Suppes at jrsuppes@ucanr.edu.
The GROW Program
South Coast REC is home to the GROW Program, an agriculture education program that aims to educate and empower Orange County youth to pursue careers in agriculture. With two field trips per school year to South Coast REC, students have the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of topics related to agriculture including hydroponics and emerging ag technologies, pest management, food safety and preservation, plant breeding, and more! GROW Program attendees get to tour the research center and participate in hands-on activities such as harvesting potatoes, tasting honey, citrus, and avocados, and making citrus-infused sugar with citrus grown on site.
We continue to expand our programming to serve students in various Career Technical Education programs, including culinary, biology, and mechanical engineering, as well as young adults in Adult Transition Programs.
The success and expansion of the GROW Program would not be possible without the unwavering support of the Orange County Farm Bureau. We thank OCFB for their long-standing partnership and support of the GROW program and of agriculture education at South Coast REC.
Events
Sample of programs offered:
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |