Annual “KIDS OCEAN DAY” Environmental Program Pivots Online

Annual “KIDS OCEAN DAY” Environmental Program Pivots Online As Schools Continue with Distance and Hybrid Learning This Spring

Cheremoya Elementary Participates

LOS ANGELES, April 26, 2021 – With strict safety protocols mandated by the California Department of Health and with school districts shifting to distance and hybrid in-person instruction this month, the annual KIDS OCEAN DAY program pivots to online assemblies this spring and announces a student ocean-themed art contest to continue its mission to educate thousands of young people throughout Los Angeles to be good stewards of the environment.

“We’re proud of the participating schools and teachers for incorporating this program into their lesson plans,” said Los Angeles Department of Public Works Commissioner Aura Garcia. “It’s never too early to start teaching students the value of conserving resources, recycling and reducing the use of plastics to keep our local rivers, creeks and ocean clean.”

For nearly 30 years, the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education has hosted school assemblies in LA-area elementary schools to teach young people about the adverse impacts of pollution to our watersheds, oceans, and sea life. This year, school assemblies shift to online classroom presentations composed of engaging videos and one-on-one interaction with students. The program focuses on what kids can do to take care of the beach, the ocean and marine animals.

Typically, the hands-on learning then culminates with thousands of LA-area schoolchildren participating in a cleanup at Dockweiler State Beach in May. This year, instead of a student-led aerial art formation at Dockweiler Beach, each student who attends an online classroom presentation is encouraged to participate in the 2021 KIDS OCEAN DAY Art Contest and submit an original artwork illustrating what they love about the ocean.

“KIDS OCEAN DAY 2021 is different but no less impactful,” said Chris Parry, Public Education Program with the California Coastal Commission. “Through their ocean-themed artwork, students can still show the world the unified power they possess to care for California’s beaches and the Pacific Ocean.”

Every art entry received will be included as an individual image in a giant online mosaic. The winning artwork will be featured as the main image of the mosaic. Check out a sample on Photo Mosaics by visiting: https://www.picturemosaics.com/photomosaics/id/29. The winning student and their teacher will each receive a $100 gift card to a well-known craft store. The mosaic will be unveiled on the Kids Ocean Day website (www.kidsoceanday.org) on June 8, 2021, World Oceans Day.

“While we may not be able to gather students for in-person school assemblies or a beach cleanup this year, our mission to educate young people continues,” said Michael Klubock, founder of the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education and the annual Kids Ocean Day event. “We are thankful we can still get the message out to elementary students online that they have the power to make a positive difference every day in keeping our environment clean.”

Schools interested in participating in the online classroom presentations and the Art Contest hosted by the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education can visit www.kidsoceanday.org for more information. The program is FREE of charge to LA-area schools. It is funded and supported by the California Coastal Commission, the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works, and LA Sanitation & Environment.