Translation effort aims to expand marine science education and encourage environmental stewardship among Spanish-speaking students
San Francisco, CA and Fort Lauderdale, FL, Sept. 17, 2024 – Brightmark, a circular innovations company with a mission to Reimagine Waste®, and the Guy Harvey Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the marine environment, announced today that their K-12 marine science curriculum “Changing the Tide” is now available in Spanish, making it more accessible to Spanish-speaking communities both in the U.S. and worldwide. The rollout of this translated curriculum will coincide with bicoastal beach cleanup activities in Florida and California, empowering students to take direct action in cleaning coasts and waterways to help prevent pollution from entering these areas.
Since its inception in 2021, this marine science curriculum has educated tens of thousands of students globally about the impacts of plastics on oceans, marine life, and the planet. Now, it will be expanded to serve Spanish-speaking students and educators both in the U.S. and internationally. The material available for download on the Brightmark website includes:
- Free lesson plans for grades K-12, plus a school-wide and community lesson plan.
- Free presentations to use as complementary materials with the lesson plans.
- Supporting assets and additional links to resources and supplemental materials.
Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States–nearly 42 million people aged five or older speak the language at home, while 5.3 million English Language Learners (ELL) are currently enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools. A high concentration of these speakers live in California and Florida, states that have some of the most coastline in the country, making the accessibility of this curriculum even more crucial for educating and empowering these communities to protect local marine environments.
“We’re so excited to expand access to this vital material,” said Bob Powell, CEO and Founder of Brightmark. “It’s estimated that 11 million metric tons of plastics enter the ocean every year. It’s a daunting problem, but one we can make a significant impact on by working together, and that starts by raising awareness and educating the next generation of changemakers, including students and educators.”
The Spanish curriculum launch will accompany a bicoastal community cleanup day of action on Friday, September 20, led by students at three partnering schools: Healdsburg Elementary School and Jack London Elementary School in California and Barbara Hawkins Elementary School in Florida. These events will allow students to witness firsthand how plastic pollution affects their communities and encourage them to take action to drive positive change.
“We built this curriculum to ensure that future generations are educated about the impact of plastic on the environment, particularly marine life, and we’ve been thrilled with the response we’ve seen,” said Jessica Harvey, CEO of the Guy Harvey Foundation. “But we know there’s even more potential to grow the international reach of the curriculum. Our foundation often travels to Central and South America for expeditions, and we couldn’t be more excited to be able to offer it to educators we work with there.”
About the Guy Harvey Foundation:
With a focused mission to better understand and conserve the ocean environment, the Guy Harvey Foundation (GHF) collaborates with local, national and international organizations to conduct scientific research and provides funding to affiliated researchers who share this objective. The GHF also develops and hosts cutting-edge educational programs that help educators to foster the next era of marine conservationists, ensuring that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a properly balanced ocean ecosystem. For more information, visit www.GuyHarveyFoundation.org. Follow the GHF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOcean, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GuyHarveyOcean, or connect on Instagram at www.instagram.com/GuyHarveyOcean.
