Sea Smart School Society

Since Sea Smart was founded in 2016, we have reached over 400,000 people through our online and in-person programs. Our goal is to expand our reach across Canada and internationally. The Elevate Prize will help Sea Smart expand and engage more program participants, donors, and sponsors. It will help us build our online presence and elevate our impact in our community. We want Sea Smart's action and solution's-oriented programs to be accessible in every community, and develop people's understanding of how they are connected to our oceans and what they can do to help them.

I have the most amazing life as a marine biologist, working all around the world studying endangered marine animals in some of the most beautiful, remote places in the world. You can imagine, I have really experienced first-hand the threats our oceans are facing. But at the same time, I realized that there is something each of us can do to help. I started up Sea Smart to share my knowledge and passion for our oceans and to inspire and empower people to love and protect our oceans. The oceans are incredibly amazing, powerful, and majestic. But at the same time, the oceans are vulnerable and in danger. Life on this planet cannot exist without our oceans. I want to help people foster love, curiosity, and connection with our oceans...because you only protect what you love. Kids are incredibly open, creative, and powerful change-makers. I am truly convinced that kids will be the ones who will champion the cause to protect our environment. All we have to do is spark their love for nature and help them foster a connection with the environment. My goal for the future is to expand Sea Smart across Canada and internationally.

Sea Smart is a charity that delivers innovative, engaging education programs based on science and current ocean issues to empower youth to be environmental champions in Metro Vancouver. Our team of marine biologists and oceanographers are passionate about youth education and environmental sustainability.

Sea Smart uses fun, hands-on games and activities to teach youth in Kindergarten to Grade 12 about current issues impacting our oceans and get them brainstorming solutions in our online programs, school programs, after-school programs, and summer camps. Sea Smart helps youth understand the role they play in making the world a better place.

No oceans, no us. Sea Smart’s innovative curriculum teaches youth about ocean issues with a solutions-based approach that is much needed in this day and age when environmental problems are overwhelming and it is easy to lose hope. Inspire your kids or students to get outdoors, become environmental champions, and make a positive difference in the world. 

Sea Smart inspires youth to love and respect our oceans by connecting children to the environment, teaching them to respect the natural world, and helping to foster their connection to nature and how crucial its health is to their futures.

I started Sea Smart to help youth foster curiosity and connection with nature. I developed the following Sea Smart initiatives to help shape the next generation of environmental stewards:

• Species at Risk Hackathon - An innovative curriculum program that teaches youth about ocean issues with a positive, solutions-based approach. The program guides kids on how to take action by leading projects such as shoreline cleanups, school walkathons, zero waste lunches, and presentations on ocean threats and solutions. The impact is magnified by the ripple-effect that occurs through their family and community. 

• Marine Biologist in Training summer camp for girls - The camp addresses gender barriers in Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) by empowering girls to become future scientists and conservationists. Women are currently underrepresented in STEM - in BC, women only make up 15-20% of STEM jobs. These camps aim to empower girls at a young age to connect with STEM and act as a stepping stone into a STEM career.

• Summer Camp at the Beach - Based outdoors at the beautiful Acadia Beach in Pacific Spirit Park, Vancouver, Sea Smart’s summer camps get kids connected to nature and literally get kids’ feet wet in the world of ocean conservation!

Anxiety and depression about our environment and climate change are at an all-time high, particularly for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that climate change threatens “children’s mental and physical health,” and “failure to take prompt, substantive action would be an act of injustice to all children.”

The Sea Smart Extracurricular Program tackles ‘eco-anxiety’ and ‘climate despair’ through fun, action-oriented education programs to inspire youth to love and protect our oceans while improving their mental health. We teach youth about ocean issues with a solutions-based approach as environmental problems become overwhelming and children begin to lose hope. We empower kids and families across Metro Vancouver to make the world a better place, with a focus on providing free programming to under-served groups. Youth development studies show extracurricular programs have both personal and community benefits by reducing the risk of youth becoming involved with drugs, crime, or dropping out of school. By improving ocean literacy, Sea Smart promotes a sense of belonging in participants' communities.