Projects & Services
Ocean Connectors
Ocean Connectors is an interdisciplinary education program that links students in San Diego and Mexico to foster the view of a shared global environment and to promote an early interest in environmental issues. Ocean Connectors uses migratory marine species that travel locally, such as the green sea turtle and the California gray whale, as case studies to teach environmental stewardship to students. This program targets schools that lack the means necessary to educate students about the natural world, thus addressing a critical community issue and filling a gap in school curriculums. As residents of coastal cities, students need to understand that we possess a great responsibility to protect marine resources. Ocean Connectors actively involves children in coastal conservation, teaching them the importance of thinking globally and acting locally to protect wildlife.
Ocean Connectors reaches students in grades four to seven through year-round events, including presentations by guest speakers, hands-on classroom activities, and binational letter writing exchanges, which serve the important purpose of illustrating the interconnectedness of oceans. Students also attend field trips that bring them into close contact with the remarkable marine creatures found locally, and their habitats. Students visit a NMFS Marine Turtle Study Site, wildlife refuges, nature centers, workshops, and experience whale watching, plant restoration and more. This is a unique program that incorporates reading, writing, art, culture, geography, and language studies into conservation lessons. Ocean Connectors meets state learning standards and follows the Ocean Literacy Principles, making this program suitable for underserved schools throughout the Californias region.