Port of Los Angeles Grant to NAMEPA: Inspiring Marine environment Protectors – Educates Students in Local Communities

The initial program to introduce inquire-based education programs and resources from NAMEPA to the communities surrounding the Port of Los Angeles through a partnership with LA’s BEST.  LA’s BEST operates on the campuses of about 200 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) elementary schools in partnership with the District allowing for reaching a broader audience. As COVID-19 took hold of the fall ’20 into spring ’21 school year NAMEPA worked with LA’s BEST and the Port of Los Angeles to adapt the program from an in-person educator driven deliver to a virtual engagement program directly to students. NAMEPA created three consecutive 30 minute recorded lessons with NAMEPA’s newest online educational material (Planet and Ocean Discovery Series – Coastal Habitats). The lessons inspire marine environment protection and focus on biodiversity, the importance of coastal habitats (coral reefs, wetlands and mangroves) and the affect climate change is having on the habitats while introducing students to new vocabulary and phenomena, increasing student’s ocean literacy. Check out the lessons on our website: https://namepa.net/partner-programs/