Classroom on the Sand with Bowman Ashe Doolin K-8 Academy

On December 5th & 8th, 2026, The International SeaKeepers Society hosted our first Classroom on the Sand experiences of the year at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. Over two days, we welcomed 64 second grade students and 7 teachers from Bowman Ashe Doolin K-8 Academy. Our days started with Park Education Associate, Maya, leading a discussion and background on the rich history of this beach park. Following this introduction, SeaKeepers’ Community Engagement Manager, Lillian, led our group into a coastal cleanup. Individual classes of students competed against each other to collect the most trash, and by the end of our second day our students were able to collect a total of 24.5 lbs of trash. Our larger items consisted of charcoal rocks and cement pieces, while our most frequent trash items included cigarette buts and broken plastic fragments. After a scenic lunch break, our Education Outreach Manager, Jack, wrapped up our session with our “Creatures on the Beach” game, where students were given several pictures of marine plants and animals to categorize based on their features. These students continue to impress our team with their knowledge and questions on their surrounding environment and how they can contribute. We give a huge thank you to the hardworking students and educators of Bowman Ashe Doolin and our friends at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park for hosting us and look forward to returning soon!