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

Noble Elementary Participates

With strict safety protocols mandated by the California Department of Health and with school districts shifting to distance and hybrid in-person instruction, 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.

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About the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education

The Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education coordinates KIDS OCEAN DAY for the Los Angeles region by giving presentations year-round at elementary schools and organizing the annual culminating event at the beach. Founded in 1991, the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education’s Adopt-A-Beach School Assembly has been presented to over 750,000 children and nearly 167,000 have participated in beach cleanups statewide. For more information, please visit www.kidsoceanday.org

About the California Coastal Commission

The California Coastal Commission is committed to protecting and enhancing California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations. It does so through careful planning and regulation of environmentally-sustainable development, strong public participation, education, and effective intergovernmental coordination. The KIDS OCEAN DAY Adopt-A-Beach Program is part of the Commission’s effort to raise public awareness of marine and coastal resources and promote coastal stewardship. The Commission provides financial support to KIDS OCEAN DAY efforts statewide with proceeds from the Whale Tail License Plate and voluntary donations on the state tax return to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund. For more information about the Commission’s programs and how to buy a Whale Tail Plate, visit www.coastforyou.org.

About City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works

The Department of Public Works is the City's third largest department and is comprised of a staff of more than 5,000 employees who are responsible for the construction, renovation, and operation of City facilities and infrastructure, as well as the delivery of public safety and environmental programs. In partnership with private contractors, the Department builds and maintains public projects such as libraries, fire stations, police stations, animal facilities, streets, bridges, streetlights, water treatment plants, sewers, and sidewalks, and provides essential public services like street tree maintenance and graffiti removal.

About LA Sanitation and Environment

LA Sanitation and Environment plans and administers the Clean Water Program, the Solid Resources Program and the Watershed Protection Program. These programs all contribute to and build upon LA Sanitation’s overarching mission of environmental sustainability. The Watershed Protection Program evaluates urban runoff pollution issues in four local watersheds—Los Angeles River, Ballona Creek, Dominguez Channel, and Santa Monica Bay. To achieve its flood control and pollution abatement objectives, the Watershed Protection Program employs a multi-pronged approach, utilizing education, engineering, enforcement, and evaluation to ensure Los Angeles’ compliance with federal, state and local regulations and reduce the amount of polluted urban runoff flowing into and through regional waterways. To learn more about the LA’s Watershed Protection Program, please visit www.lacitysan.org/watershedprotection.