Kindergarten Students Learn About Pollution Prevention

San Diego Coastkeeper and the City of San Diego recently launched the Project SWELL Kindergarten curriculum in San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). Through these lessons students learn about the different plants and animals living in San Diego’s aquatic environments and about storm drain pollution. 

Project SWELL (Stewardship: Water Education for Lifelong Leadership) promotes awareness of clean water and fosters a sense of environmental stewardship by engaging children in improving the health of our ocean and waterways. This unique environmental education program enhances the existing science curriculum with hands-on lessons to teach students about pollution prevention in their local environment. 

Including the Kindergarten lessons, Project SWELL will be taught to approximately 50,000 students in five grades in SDUSD and one grade in Oceanside Unified School District annually. Ultimately, the City of San Diego and San Diego Coastkeeper plan to develop Project SWELL in all K-12 classrooms in SDUSD and continue to expand the program into other school districts in San Diego County.