Entering our second year, in this progressive pilot program Coastal Expeditions educators are working with and following the entire 2021 kindergarten grade at Sanders-Clyde Creative Arts Elementary School (SCCAES) through graduation from fifth grade. SCCAES is a Title I (94.3% poverty rate) school in downtown Charleston, with a minority enrollment of 98%. Meeting monthly, visits are split between on-or-near school grounds as well as in the field and on the water. Of special focus is a sustainability project, benefitting the local community and ecosystem. Each year this topic will change to align with South Carolina Science Standards appropriate for that grade level.

This program is designed to work with the same students for six years and has several goals:
• Increase overall knowledge of local flora and fauna
• Improve overall wellbeing, happiness and enjoyment spending time outdoors
• Complement in class learning and assist with Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) scores on required MAP testing,
• Nurture future environmental stewards.

Through a generous grant provided by the the Butler Foundation for the Environment, students from Berkeley County, SC are provided scholarships for kayak expeditions in the Black River Cyprus Reserve. Founded in March 2012, the spring and fall programs offer students from sixth grade through high school aerobic exercise and environmental education through kayaking sessions.

SCOEP’s programs are based on intensive hands-on learning, teaching conservation and environmental stewardship through immersion in the ecology, history, and natural beauty of South Lowcountry. SCOEP guides, who are trained naturalists with certifications in kayaking, first aid, and lifeguarding, take students on a four-hour kayaking adventure that combines local history, environmental education, and team-building. Over 15,000 students have participated in this kayaking program since its inception.

Coastal Expeditions' CEO Chris Crolley developed this program in 2016 to teach principles of sea kayaking and interpersonal development skills to focus on PTSD recovery , learning how to help- and be helped- on the water and in life. Sponsored by Boeing SC. Learn more about this program at www.coastalexpeditions.com/veterans