The Ocean Starts At Your Front Door

From coastal cities to landlocked towns, the ocean plays an essential role in sustaining life on Earth.

The ocean’s biodiversity helps regulate our atmosphere, bring rainfall, and provide food for countless species—humans included.

But the survival of this vast life support system depends on every creature living in the ocean, no matter how small, and our actions to protect it.

By adopting a class through the Tide School Adopt-A-Class Program, you are helping teach the next generation about the crucial role the ocean plays in our environment and what they can do to protect it. The Dana Point Harbor, with its rich natural and cultural history, offers a unique, hands-on learning experience that brings lessons about the ocean to life. Through the program, students will not only explore the wonders of the ocean, but also understand the impact of marine debris and pollution.

In the program, "The Ocean Starts at Your Front Door," kids will discover how trash travels through our streets and ends up in the ocean, how pollution harms marine life, and what simple, everyday actions they can take to prevent further damage. By adopting a class, you are investing in the education of these young minds—equipping them with the knowledge and passion to become future environmental stewards.

Your support directly contributes to a program that not only educates but empowers kids to become part of the solution. Whether it’s a local classroom or one in a town far from the ocean, your donation helps bring this essential environmental education to children who may otherwise never have the opportunity to experience the wonders of marine life.

Adopting a class is more than a charitable gesture—it’s a meaningful investment in the future of our planet. By giving students the tools they need to protect the ocean, you’re helping preserve its vitality for generations to come.

Join us in fostering environmental awareness and ocean stewardship today!

Why Adopt a Class: A Unique Opportunity to Educate and Inspire the Next Generation of Ocean Stewards

Our ocean is a vital life-support system, but it's also in crisis. Pollution is one of the greatest threats to marine life, and we need to raise awareness in the next generation about how their actions impact the environment. By adopting a class through our Tide School Adopt-A-Class Program, you're giving students the chance to experience this firsthand in a way that combines education, adventure, and action.

Here’s how the program works:

We’ll start by visiting the school for an engaging assembly where we’ll introduce The Ocean Starts at Your Front Door program. Through this interactive session, we’ll teach students about the journey of trash—from their front door to the ocean—and how it affects marine life. We’ll cover key concepts such as watersheds, the water cycle, gyres, single-use plastics, and the impact of marine debris like entanglement and ingestion on marine mammals. Students will even get to experiment with a watershed model and other hands-on activities that make learning fun and memorable.

The following day, we’ll take the students on a whale watching trip, where they’ll witness the beauty of marine life and, unfortunately, the effects of pollution firsthand. This immersive experience will make the lessons come to life as we spot marine mammals and, if we encounter pollution such as balloons in the water, we’ll work together to remove them. The whale watching trip will be an unforgettable opportunity for students to learn not only about the animals and ecosystems that rely on the ocean, but also about the importance of protecting it.

To reinforce the lessons learned, each student will receive a The Ocean Starts at Your Front Door booklet and a take-home educational kit that includes hands-on experiments and reminders about how they can make a difference. These kits will serve as tools to further engage students in the fight against ocean pollution and inspire them to adopt sustainable habits in their own lives.

By adopting a class, you're directly supporting environmental education for students, whether they live near the coast or far inland. You're empowering them with knowledge about how their everyday choices can help reduce pollution and protect the ocean for future generations. Join us in fostering ocean awareness and inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders!

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All Children in Early Childhood are Natural Scientists

When young children embrace science, explore and interact with the environment, they assume the role of scientists naturally.

Outdoor Environmental Education Helps

Build Future Leaders
Builds critical and creative thinking skills
Imagination and enthusiasm
Problem-solving
Strengthens the community
Independence
Confidence
Builds personal responsibility
Boosting concentration
Increasing a child’s engagement at school
Reduces stress
Improving moods

By Heading Outside and Learning in Nature

Kids improve their emotional, intellectual and behavioral development.

They also come away from their experience with a greater appreciation of our natural environment and an understanding of the importance of practicing good land and ocean stewardship.