By Karisa Arterbury | Director of Operations + Development (volunteer)
This spring and summer have been especially inspiring for Ocean Blue Project (OBP), thanks to the leadership of our youth participants, interns, volunteers, and long-term community partners. Across the second and third quarters of 2026, their energy, service, and commitment to environmental stewardship have strengthened our programs, expanded our impact, and brought new momentum to our mission.
Our flagship OBP Blue Schools program continues to educate K–12 students about the watershed–ocean connection, helping build a new generation of ocean advocates. As the program grows, Ocean Blue Project is seeking support to construct the Ocean Blue Project Learning Center in Lottsburg, Virginia, adjacent to the Potomac River, the major tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. This future learning hub will deepen place-based education and provide students with opportunities to understand how local watershed stewardship directly shapes the health of the Chesapeake Bay and our one world ocean.
The OBP Blue Schools curriculum, backed by UNESCO principles of ocean literacy and stewardship, is designed to empower young people with the knowledge and tools to care for their communities and waterways. To continue expanding this work, Ocean Blue Project is also seeking funding for high school and college interns who can help lead further curriculum development, educational outreach, and student-centered programming. New schools engaging in the program include Frances K. Sweet Elementary School in Fort Pierce, Florida, and Karin F’s sixty (60) first-graders in San Benito, Texas.
Intern & Leader Spotlight
A highlight of this reporting period has been the continued leadership of Alondra Garcia, Ocean Blue Project’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year and a dedicated CleanUp Crew Leader in our Oregon Chapter. For the past three years, Alondra has led cleanups in partnership with TRIO Student Support Services at Oregon State University, building on a collaboration that has now been running strong for more than five years.
TRIO Student Support Services stands for access, support, and student success. The program helps students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, persist in higher education through academic guidance, community-building, and leadership development. This partnership is a natural fit with Ocean Blue Project’s mission because it connects service, environmental education, and youth leadership in meaningful ways.
Earlier this year, Alondra organized a cleanup at Nye Beach in Newport, Oregon, on the Indigenous territory of Yaqo’n. The cleanup brought together 85 volunteers from TRIO Student Support Services for a community service event rooted in environmental stewardship and collective action. Together, the group removed around 200 pounds of debris from the beach.
This event reflects the heart of what Ocean Blue Project and TRIO Student Support Services stand for: showing up for community, caring for local environments, and investing in the next generation of leaders. Through Alondra’s leadership, students not only helped restore a meaningful coastal space, but also strengthened their understanding of how local action contributes to broader ocean health.
Her leadership not only removes litter from our environment but also introduces young people to stewardship, advocacy, and the power of consistent action. Alondra’s events are welcoming, well-organized, and deeply educational. She helps participants understand how action on the Oregon Coast connects to the health of watersheds and oceans everywhere, inspiring future environmental leaders in the process.
Program Goals & Impact
At the heart of OBP Blue Schools is a commitment to creating vibrant, hands-on learning environments where young people and emerging leaders can connect with their local ecosystems in meaningful and memorable ways. The envisioned Ocean Blue Project Learning Center in Lottsburg, Virginia, will serve as a central space for this work. Located adjacent to the Potomac River, it will offer a powerful setting for place-based learning about watershed stewardship, Chesapeake Bay health, and global ocean interconnectedness.
This center is being designed as a dynamic hub for creativity, exploration, and community engagement. It will create space for interns, students, educators, and community members to come together to share knowledge, lead workshops, and inspire one another. It will also support the continued growth of the UNESCO-backed OBP Blue Schools curriculum and provide a home base for expanded programming.
Our broader vision extends far beyond workshops or classroom walls. We seek to spark curiosity and deepen understanding about the vital connections between our watersheds and the ocean. By inviting students, interns, and aspiring educators to take on leadership roles, we nurture collaboration, confidence, and stewardship while building a community invested in positive change.
This journey is not one we take alone. Collaboration with schools, universities, donors, and community partners is essential to bringing these experiences to life. We are continually inspired by the creativity and commitment of our interns, youth leaders like Alondra, and volunteers, whose passion continues to move this work forward.
As we invest in expanding our capacity, both physically through the construction of the Ocean Blue Project Learning Center and programmatically through curriculum innovation and outreach, OBP Blue Schools is laying the foundation for a thriving and collaborative network. Together, we are equipping the next generation with the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to make a lasting impact on their communities, their watersheds, and the natural world.
Key Activities
Educational Workshops: Hands-on exploration of how local watersheds connect to ocean health, including water sampling, recycling activities, eco-art projects, and community-based stewardship learning.
Intern & Youth Leadership: High school and college interns, along with youth leaders such as Alondra, are helping shape and deliver educational programming, lead cleanup events, and support continued development of the UNESCO-backed OBP Blue Schools curriculum.
Community Partnership Engagement: Long-term partnerships, including our more than five-year collaboration with TRIO Student Support Services, continue to strengthen our ability to connect environmental service with student leadership and community action.
Outreach & Expansion: Ongoing partnerships with schools and universities, including Frances K. Sweet Elementary School and Karin F’s first-grade class, are laying the groundwork for the Ocean Blue Project Learning Center, a space designed for immersive, collaborative learning that complements Stewardship Action Projects and field-based experiences from Oregon to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Funding Update
As part of our ongoing campaign, Ocean Blue Project is actively seeking funding to construct the Ocean Blue Project Learning Center in Lottsburg, Virginia, adjacent to the Potomac River, the major tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. This dedicated educational space will expand our capacity for place-based learning and multiply our technology and digital reach for years to come.
We are also seeking funding for high school and college interns to lead further curriculum development, educational outreach, and implementation of the UNESCO-backed OBP Blue Schools program. Investing in these young leaders will help ensure that our work remains community-rooted, innovative, and sustainable.
Looking Ahead
Thank you, GlobalGiving donors and community partners, for empowering students, interns, and young leaders committed to protecting our ocean and waterways. Supporters like you make these achievements, and this next phase of growth, possible.
For more details or to support our efforts, please contact
Karisa Arterbury
karisa@oceanblueproject.org
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