The Central Coast Aquarium serves as San Luis Obispo’s resource for marine education. The organization primarily operates as a marine science education center that offers hands on marine lessons to schoolchildren K-12. Students from across six counties are bussed to the aquariums Avila Beach location where they participate in ocean discovery labs and floating marine lab lessons on San Luis Obispo Bay. The organization works to not only educate but also engage visiting school groups on the ecology of marine life and aquatic environments, striving to inspire the next generation of ocean stewards.
The aquarium not only serves as an educational tool for marine life lessons but also allows residents and visitors the opportunity to view over 50 species of local sea life. The Central Coast Aquarium also provides public education classes, docent led tours, public outreach programs, beach and dive cleanups, private tours and summer camps.
What would you use the funds for?
The Central Coast Aquarium is outgrowing their current teaching space and need to build an additional teaching space for visitors and students. Since opening their current location next to the park in Avila Beach they have watched public admission grow from 3,500 visitors to 25,000 visitors per year. These funds would be used to build an outdoor classroom space to continue to reach more students and residents who are asking for more classes and learning opportunities. The ocean is a fundamental and precious resource. Please help us to cultivate a community that is dedicated to ocean stewardship.
Review from Guidestar