Mind To Matter Donates to Experiential Learning

The Environmental Studies Department is pleased to announce an $11,400 gift to the Experiential Learning Endowment from the Mind to Matter Foundation.  The Mind to Matter Foundation was founded by Jamie Wine (Merrill ’03), a double major in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology.  Jamie said he was so appreciative of the financial support he received from UCSC, and specifically from the Environmental Studies Department through the Surfrider-Skye Ksander Award, that he wanted to offer similar opportunities to future students. 
 
So, when he graduated, he asked friends and family to donate to a scholarship fund.  Then, with the help of his father’s accounting advice, he founded the non-profit organization - the Mind to Matter Foundation.  His vision was to offer scholarships to students working on projects that show that a healthy environment and a strong economy go hand in hand.  Along with a couple of friends, he raised nearly $12,000 for the Foundation’s endowment and made a few awards.  But, as their lives got busier, the group realized that they wanted to donate the money to a cause that was consistent with the goal of the Foundation and chose the UCSC Environmental Studies Experiential Learning Endowment. 
 
Jamie knows first hand the importance of hands-on learning and looks back on his UCSC internship with the Ocean Conservancy as an invaluable experience.  He is pleased that the gift will enable other students to participate in experiential courses, like Green Building, that are consistent with the Foundation’s mission.    
 
Jamie uses his training from UCSC, as well as many things he learned by founding a non-profit organization, in his current position as Executive Director of Bike Easy, a bicycle advocacy group in New Orleans.  Bike Easy works to educate people about bike safety, to encourage people to bike, and to advocate local, state, and national governments to improve the infrastructure for biking, such as bike lanes and bike storage areas.  Before taking his current position, he worked as an educator for the Catalina Island Conservancy and later for an environmental advocacy organization in the Puget Sound area.
 
When asked what advice he has for current Environmental Studies students, he says: “I encourage students to take responsibility for seeking out independent learning opportunities, such as senior internships, in their final year at UCSC.  There are a lot of options and they will help your learning coalesce.”