We’re getting ready for the 23rd annual Kids’ Ocean Day event happening this Friday, May 20! You may remember last year’s Kids’ Ocean Day where 1000 students, teachers, and volunteers from both sides of the US-Mexico border came together to create this historical bi-national image.
While this year’s event is not bi-national, we’re looking for adult volunteers to join us at South Mission Beach as we create one of our most power aerial art messages yet – we’re calling for a sea change, a dramatic shift in our current habits to protect the Pacific Ocean.
Students from local elementary schools – Chula Vista Learning Community Charter, Fay Elementary, Field Elementary, Florence Elementary, Foster Elementary, Joyner Elementary, Porter Elementary and Whitman Elementary – will step outside of the classroom and into their environment – feeling the sea breeze on their faces, perhaps for the first time.
The students will start the day off with a beach cleanup to learn firsthand about how trash travels and how they can make a positive impact.
Following the cleanup, over 900 students will stand side-by-side with their teachers, I Love A Clean San Diego staff and volunteers to create a piece of living art – an aerial art image that spells out “SEA CHANGE” along South Mission Beach. This powerful image seen from the sky signifies the unity needed to improve the health of the world’s oceans. Here’s is a sketch of the art to get you excited about this year’s message!
With over 5 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the world’s oceans, now is the time to make a difference. If we continue on our path as is, it is estimated that pieces of plastics will soon outnumber fish in the ocean. The good news is that everyone, including youth, can contribute to creating a cleaner future.
If you want to be a part of this message, we’re looking for adult volunteers to lead students during the cleanup and the art. If you’re interested, please register here. As a thank you, all volunteers will receive a photo of the complete aerial art image as a keepsake.
Thanks to our primary sponsor, The California Coastal Commission for providing financial support from proceeds of the Whale Tail License Plate and the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund. Additional event sponsors include Cox Communications, Qualcomm and the Charles and Gail Kendall Family Donor Advised Fund at the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation.
