Jenks, OK: Today, the Oklahoma Aquarium Fish Friends Scholarship fund received it’s largest single donation ever from The Opportunity Project of Tulsa. The Opportunity Project connects the city’s array of youth-focused programs, services, and curriculum-based efforts to provide pathways to success for children and youth.

“Grounded in research that shows learning beyond the classroom improves student success and equips them to reach future goals, The Opportunity Project offers Tulsa’s youth development community the tools and expertise needed to lift up young people in marginalized communities and broaden access to hands-on learning opportunities.”

Fish Friends launched in the early 2000s when a young man donated his bar mitzvah money to help kids who couldn’t otherwise afford a visit to experience the Oklahoma Aquarium. Through the years this fund has grown through small donations from members and the community providing thousands of students field trips to the Oklahoma Aquarium including transportation, admission and lunch.

During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Fish Friends helped finance OKAQ’s Unstoppable Science program which included virtual tours, distance learning and fun activities for students to do at home. The $50,000 donation granted by the Opportunity Project will provide an Oklahoma Aquarium experience to more than 5,000 students in the Metro-Tulsa area. Please contact us to learn more about application and eligibility.

About Oklahoma Aquarium: Our mission is to educate and inspire conservation of our aquatic world through interactive discovery. Every aspect of the OKAQ experience derives from our mission. We are preparing to celebrate 20 years of educating and inspiring in 2023.