Creating the Next Generation of Coastal Stewards

In summer 2026, support from Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, Inc. and Ron Jon Surf Shop helped make meaningful summer camp experiences in coastal education possible for young people through a partnership with Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Together, the partners provided 53 under-resourced youth with scholarships to attend summer conservation camps at no cost to their families. Since 2022, Ron Jon Surf Shop and Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation have been proud to provide the funding for summer camp scholarships. Designed for students ages 10–14, the programs gave campers opportunities to explore Florida’s coastal ecosystems while developing a deeper understanding of the challenges facing our oceans and waterways.

Through Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Eco Explorers and Eco Leaders camps, students learned about beaches, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, watersheds and estuaries through a combination of hands-on activities, outdoor exploration and classroom learning. Campers snorkeled, kayaked through mangrove habitats, explored local nature areas and investigated real-world conservation issues including plastic pollution, habitat destruction, coral bleaching and overfishing.

For older campers, the experience went a step further by introducing the many ways they can become environmental leaders—not only through future careers in conservation and marine science, but through the everyday choices they make as stewards of the places they call home.

The Foundation’s support also helped provide catered lunches and camp gear packs for every scholarship recipient, ensuring students had the resources they needed to fully participate in these experiences.

The partnership extended beyond the campers. Funding also supported a paid summer internship for a college student, providing more than 500 hours of hands-on experience in environmental education. The intern helped develop and deliver educational programming, supported camp staff and participated in fieldwork, ultimately creating and independently teaching a full week of camp.

Programs like these demonstrate the impact that partnerships can have beyond a single event or experience. By helping young people explore Florida’s waters, understand the importance of healthy coastal ecosystems and see themselves as part of their protection, the Foundation is helping nurture the next generation of people who will care for—and continue to enjoy—the places that make Florida special.

*Photos courtesy of Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Thank you for supporting the internship program that made my summer experience at Clearwater Marine Aquarium possible. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work in the Education Department, where I spent the summer teaching campers about marine life, conservation, and the importance of protecting our oceans.
-Carly Douthit

Thanks for your sweet notes!