Education is one of the cornerstones of Shark Stewards efforts to protect sharks and where they live.
Our Science and Education programs have reached over 100,000 youth in California, Hawai’i and in other states, cities and countries in SE Asia where we campaign to regulate the shark fin trade and to protect habitat through community based conservation areas protecting ocean habitat (MPAs).
The Sharks and Oceans Academy is a prototype program to reach urban and underserved youth about the ocean and to bring them into nature, and become part of the solution restoring ocean health.
Our first O&E Schedule and Curriculum
- Maria Korcemaros, Southern California Chair and shark survivor visits the school and sharing her story and Ocean Academy program on Friday March 1st!! Period 1-7 in the Staff Lounge.
- Students at South Junior High, a Title 1 School in Anaheim California commit to the 4 Saturdays for the rest of this 2024 year and the 2-3 TBD Saturday dates for the 2024/5 school year. The goal is to have a group of 40 – 45 students (One bus size for field trips)
- March 9th was our first Day!! It will be an instructional day at South Jr High during a Saturday Academy. Content includes plastic pollution, local sharks and Oil Rig decommission to prepare for STEAM-A-Palooza on April 20th – 2nd instructional day. Other instructional content will focus on shark conservation and Marine Biology.
- April 6th – First field trip day!!! – Beach clean up at Cherry Beach, Long Beach
- April 20th STEAM-A-Palooza – 2nd instructional day. Students build their solution for the decommissioning of Oil Rigs (Repurposed oil rigs or under water rigs to reef!)
- May 11th – 2nd field trip day (Ocean institute?)
- Dates for Saturday Academy the next school year are in the planning stage summer 2024
- Run4Shark date in October 11 (End of Ocean Academy – Ocean Academy students will be highlighted at the event. Youth will have hand-on volunteer experience, display their work and hopefully they join in the Run!)
This is an all volunteer effort with support from the Anaheim School District and Vice-Principal Randy Poggio.