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One Cool Earth implemented a marine debris education program in San Luis Obispo schools.
Type of Project: Prevention
Region: California
Project Dates: August 2020 - April 2022
Who was involved?
With the support of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, One Cool Earth's Earth Genius Program worked with students and teachers to carry out marine debris education.
What is the project and why is it important?
In the United States, most marine debris comes from land-based sources. By reducing litter throughout coastal watersheds, we can help reduce marine debris.
The Earth Genius Program worked with students and schools to reduce littering, improve waste management, and raise awareness about marine debris issues. Project partners improved composting, waste sorting, and bin placement, while engaging students in marine debris cleanups and bringing marine debris education to the classroom.
What were the results?
The Earth Genius Program engaged 7,600 students at 23 different schools in marine debris education to raise awareness and generate solutions for marine debris issues. The project team also created a best practices manual to help other schools make improvements that reduce litter on campus.
For more information about this project, visit the Marine Debris Program Clearinghouse.