- Students removed 157 pounds of trash and created a giant aerial art message in the sand promoting this year’s theme, “Restore Power.”
- Kids Ocean Day connects students from underserved communities to coastal education and environmental action.
- Now in its 18th year, the event has inspired former student participants to pursue environmental stewardship through high school programming and internships.
On May 20, 2025, over 1,000 students representing 14 elementary schools across Orange County gathered at Huntington State Beach for Kids Ocean Day, a day of environmental action and education organized by Orange County Coastkeeper (Coastkeeper). Third through sixth-graders from Garden Grove, Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Orange, and Westminster teamed up to remove 157 pounds of trash from the beach and form a large-scale art project reflecting this year’s theme, “Restore Power.”
“With this year’s theme, we wanted students to know that their voices and actions matter,” said Genesee Ouyang, education director at Orange County Coastkeeper. “We’ve heard from countless students that topics like climate change and environmental degradation can feel overwhelming. Our goal was to show them that even small steps like picking up trash can create real change, especially when they bring their community along. We want them to focus on making a difference in their own neighborhoods, one action at a time.”
In the weeks leading up to the event, Coastkeeper educators visited each school to lead interactive assemblies on ocean pollution, conservation, and the interconnectivity of SoCal’s watersheds. These presentations equipped students with the knowledge and tools to take action in their communities, form sustainable habits, and come prepared to participate in a beach cleanup. Later this week, each student participant will receive a postcard of the aerial art to remember the impact they made at Kids Ocean Day 2025.
“After 18 years of hosting this event, we’re truly seeing the ripple effects,” said Dyana Peña, associate director of programs at Orange County Coastkeeper. “We’ve had students who came to Kids Ocean Day in elementary school return years later through our high school and college programs. This event can spark a lifelong connection to environmental advocacy and ocean protection.”
Kids Ocean Day engages students from communities that are especially vulnerable to environmental pollution and face disproportionate systemic barriers to coastal access. Through this annual program, students gain a deeper understanding of their role as environmental stewards and ocean protectors.
Orange County’s Kids Ocean Day is part of a statewide effort led by the California Coastal Commission, which coordinates Kids Ocean Day with proceeds from the Whale Tail® License Plate and voluntary donations on the California state tax return to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund. Whale Tail® grants to organizations in San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco, Bakersfield, and Humboldt County enable events to take place at beaches along the California coast, demonstrating a collective commitment to coastal stewardship.
“The students are sending a powerful message about the need to protect and preserve the California coast,” said Annie Kohut Frankel, public education program manager for the California Coastal Commission. “Their actions have shown us that we can restore our coast and ensure that it endures for future generations. Thank you to all of these incredible coastal stewards!”
Special thanks to our sponsors: the California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail® Grants Program, Behr Paint Company, Kingston Technology, Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento (District 2), Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation, California Love Drop, Sur Coffee, Costco, Target, and Open Water! Their commitment to environmental education and community engagement helps inspire the next generation of coastal stewards.
Visit coastkeeper.org/education to learn more about Kids Ocean Day and Coastkeeper’s other education programs.
