Our volunteer Gary McFee visited Brooks Elementary in Windsor, California. He did a presentation for Mrs. Fritz's 30 4th grade students and it went fintastically!! They were a very knowledgeable group with a lot of interest in sharks and the ocean.  Quite a few students had been exposed to sharks in their lives and were thrilled to learn more about them.  They said they couldn't wait to tell their family some of the facts they learned and about how cool sharks are. Thanks again for having us visit!!!

Our ambassador Michelle Trigg had a FIN tastic visit to Milton Park primary school in Portsmouth, England, and to be part of their STEM week.
She spent the day speaking to each year group Individually ( total 380 students), plus 2 shark science workshops for Y2 ( age 6-7). Students had a lot of fun with measuring and finding out about some recent shark discoveries.
Thank you so much for having us in.

Volunteer Lance Lovell ( The Digger Dude) and ambassador Cailla Strobel spoke about shark education and amazing shark tooth fossils on River City Live.

Check out the video HERE
 

We teamed up with the Bimini Sharklab to host an educational open day for grade 5-6 students from Gateway Christian Academy. Students learned about local marine life, shark science, shark anatomy and conservation. It was an interactive and hands on learning day! 

Our ambassador Jenny Bortoluzzi visited Mount Anville Primary girls' school in Dublin where she gave two consecutive talks to classes 2nd-6th and Montessori (2.5year olds)-1st. In total she spoke to around 400 students in the context of their STEAM Month.

Thanks to volunteer Michaela for spreading shark education at this JAWsome event. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to learn about sharks and our programs!

Founder Jillian Morris and Sharklab outreach manager Chessie Mason visited both Bimini Primary and Gateway Christian Academy. They taught all the grade 1-4 student about sharks, sharks of the Bahamas and why they are important. Thanks to both schools for welcoming us!

Founder Jillian got to share our Bahamas education programs with world champion surfer Mick Fanning for a National Geographic TV show. Stay tuned for air dates. Mick had a great time meeting the students and learning about the work they are doing to save sharks and the oceans.

Our ambassador Chloe spoke to 200 grade K-3 students at the Renaissance Charter School. The students had JAWsome questions. Thanks to the school, staff and students for welcoming us.

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We kicked off 2020 with a JAWsome shark science hangout at the Bimini Sharklab. We taught over 400 students from 20 schools all about sharks, shark science and shark conservation!

We teamed up with the Bimini Sharklab to teach students visiting Cat Cay about shark science. They learned about the different tags we use and then got to see us a catch, tag and release a nurse shark. Thanks to Cat Cay for welcoming our program and to everyone who joined us.

We joined 4Ocean for a JAWsome beach cleanup and ocean education day. Thanks to everyone who cleaned the beach and stopped by our booth to learn about sharks.

Our team attend the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit held at Mote Marine Lab. It's always amazing speaking to so many young people who want to do their part to save the oceans.

Our team member Lance Lovell hosted this second annual event for students. He hides thousands of fossil teeth on the beach for kids to find. We joined the event to teach students about how we study sharks and how they can learn more.

We teamed up with the Bimini Sharklab to teach students all about shark science . They got to see how scientists collect data and the tools they use to study sharks. We spoke to 19 classrooms and over 450 students.

Our ambassador Enie visited the students at the UNC Hospital School. She taught them all about sharks and how scientists study them. They even learned how Enie uses a drone to study sharks.

Stoked on Salt's Ocean Conservation Day was amazing. People learned about our programs and went on a Virtual Reality shark dive. Thanks to Lisa for having us at this incredible ocean event.

We hosted another shark science education day at the Marine Environmental Education Center. We had 2 sessions and nearly 50 students. Both groups learned about shark science. One group got to paint 3D shark models and the other got to watch a shark dissection.

Founders Jillian Morris and Duncan Brake spoke at the Turks and Caicos International Film Festival. Jillian was on the shark conservation panel and Duncan spoke about the evolution of underwater filming. He also do an underwater photo workshop.

Duncan and Jillian spent a day teaching students at the Ed Gartland Youth Centre about sharks. The students did a mock shark tagging activity and also went on a Virtual Reality shark dive. This education day was part of the inaugural Turks and Caicos International Film Festival.

Our ambassador Enie shared shark education with people at the Pelagic Beer & Wine block party in Raleigh, North Carolina. Thanks to Pelagic for supporting our outreach and education programs!

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Students from the Louise McDonald High School in Bimini, The Bahamas joined us for a shark education field trip. They were able to learn about and swim with southern stingrays, nurse sharks and Caribbean reef sharks. Thanks to Bimini Scuba Center for making these trips possible.

We had a FIN tastic time teaching students all about sharks at the Crayola Experience in Orlando, Florida. Kids event got to color shark sheets with special Sharks4Kids crayons!

We teamed up with Free our Seas and Beyond for their Coastal Cleanup event at the Marine Environmental Education Center. After cleaning the beach, people got to learn about sharks and how we save them! Guests also help create a shark art piece made from marine debris.

Our team had a JAWsome time at Oceans Fest 2019 . We loved teaching students about sharks and how scientists study them. Thanks to everyone who joined us!

Our team traveled back to Isla Guadalupe with another amazing group of people. The shark action was epic. Thanks to everyone who joined this adventure and thanks for supporting our outreach programs.

For Shark Week, our JAWsome team member Ron Watkins took Sharks4Kids on the road to the the Kennett Area YMCA and teamed up with the Family Programs Director Megan Kooistra to end her week Shark Week events with a bang (or bite)! The kids got to learn all about sharks, underwater photography, scuba diving and what they can do to help sharks! We raffled off some shark prints, handed out shark bracelets/stickers/tattoos and then all jumped in the water with Baby Shark (doo doo doo doo doo doo) for some underwater photos with a shark! I'm not sure who had more fun that day, but a good time was had by all! Thank you Megan, all the volunteers, the parents and especially the kids!
 

Breanna spends her summer working at Montville Parks and Rec and they decided to have one of their weeks as a shark week theme. They went to the Mystic Aquarium and the beach for field trips. Breanna decided to take this as an opportunity to talk to kids about how important sharks are to the ecosystem and our planet. They had a great time and asked a ton of great question.

Our UK ambassador Michelle visited Baydon St. Nicholas School.

The 2 Classes have been doing a school ‘Under the Sea’ topic. I did 2 separate talks to Goldfinches class - Y1 and Y2 (25 kids) and then Robins Class -Reception and Y1 (23 kids) They also enjoyed trying on my scuba gear too.

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Skype in the Classroom is a really powerful tool for education. We travel around the world for our virtual shark lesson. We have visited schools in 47 countries and have traveled 1,000,000 miles.

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Learn More

Our Irish ambassador Eimear gave wonderful shark talks and did a continuous marine-themed event for ECO-UNESCO's YEA event!

Over 1,000 young people from across Europe got together in one place to present their environmental action projects to politicians, policy-makers, and the public. We were so inspired by all of the AMAZING projects!

We celebrated World Oceans Day with our shark science and art event at the Marine Environmental Education Center.  Students learned all about shark science, met Captain the green sea turtle and then got to paint their own 3D scale shark model. The models were created by Digital Life and this event launched our official partnership with the organization. Check out our PAGE to learn more!

Our team member Davis spoke to just over 100 grade 5 students at Ponte Vedra Palm Valley- Rawlings Elementary School. The students had great questions and loved learning about sharks and shark diving!

Our team member Michelle Trigg has been busy spreading shark education around the UK. She visited Pendock Primary School and Malvern Parish Primary School, speaking to students age 4-11.

Our ambassador Breanna had a great time teaching 4H Explorers in Connecticut all about sharks.

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Team member Davis Johnson spoke to 60 Kindergarten students at Ponte Vedra Elementary school this week! Check out these these JAWsome posters they created!

Our JAWsome ambassador Chloe Prayon recently visited Palm Beach Maritime Academy and spoke to 550 students! Our in person presentations allow students to connect with real scientists, divers and conservationists. It also teaches them how they can help save sharks, no matter how young they are or where they live!

Founders Duncan and Jillian traveled to Atlanta for a charity bridal shower. Erin Whitley and Deano cook asked guests to donate to Sharks4Kids in lieu of gifts and raised over $1000. Jillian did a presentation at Dive Georgia, speaking about our outreach and education programs. Thanks to everyone who has supported our cause!

Our Irish ambassador Eimear Manning spent 2 days with the Youth for Sustainable Development group in ECO-UNESCO. She taught them all about Irish sharks and why they're SO important to the Irish ocean (and oceans all around the world!)

She also played a very cool shark work-up game (the students had to take measurements, take blood, and tag their plush sharks/ pool toys in a race against time!

The team attended the EarthX environmental event in Dallas, Texas. The event drew over 100,00 people and we had amazing time teaching about sharks and our programs. We even got filmed by the student film crew!

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Founder Jillian Morris completed her National Geographic Educator Certification. We are excited to implement new learning formats and materials into our programs.

Founders Jillian Morris and Derek Burkholder visited 8 schools and spoke to nearly 1600 students in the Flower Mound, Texas area. Students learned all about shark science and shark conservation during this shark education tour!

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Free Our Seas and Beyond hosted an awesome art and conservation event at the Marine Environmental Education Center in Hollywood, Florida. We met a lot of great people and shared our programs!

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Stay tuned for next year!

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Our team had another FIN tastic year at Rock the Ocean's Tortuga Music Festival. This year we launched our VR shark cage experience, giving people the opportunity to dive into the world of sharks!

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Our JAWsome ambassadors Cailla and Halee teamed up to visit Palm Valley Elementary. They taught 196 about sharks and shark science! Thanks to Palm Valley for welcoming us!

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Our ambassador Chloe did a presentation in South Florida as part of Discovery Day for a local Girl Scout Troop. They learned all about sharks and SCUBA diving!

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Our ambassador Amy Johnson recently spoke to the entire 3rd grade at Yankeetown Elementary in Indiana. Students were excited and had lots of great questions. Thanks so much to all the teachers and students for welcoming us.

Thanks to Maisey Jeffreys for featuring our founder and our work in her new magazine.

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Download HERE for great conservation articles.

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Our media director Duncan Brake was on the underwater team for Blue Planet Live. 4 Episodes were broadcast live from 3 locations, including Bimini. Host Steve Backshall went LIVE from underwater with several species of shark, including great hammerheads! Founder Jillian also assisted with the production and did behind the scenes photos.

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Our new team member Lizzie Daly hosted the BBC Blue Planet Live Lesson along with incredible host Naomi Wilkinson. They connected with host Steve Backshall who was LIVE in Bimini, diving with sharks.

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UK residents can watch the lesson HERE

Jillian Morris wrote about great hammerheads and what it's like to dive with them in the latest issue of Barnacles Babes Magazine.

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Download HERE

Our ambassador Cailla had a FIN tastic time speaking to students at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida.

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Thanks to all the teachers and students who welcomed our program.

We teamed up with Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center to take local grade 8, 9 & 10 students out to see stingrays and sharks. The students also participated in a beach cleanup. Thanks to Project AWARE​ for donating bags and metal straws for each student. 2 students were also gifted a watch from Freestyle Watches for cleaning up the most trash and having the best answer for why sharks are important.

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Thanks to the students and teachers from Louise McDonald High School for joining us!

Thanks to everyone who supports our work and makes these outreach programs possible.

Learn about our founder and why she believes in shark education. Thanks to Education for a Better World Podcast for sharing our work.

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Listen on SoundCloud

Listen on iTunes

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We had a great time teaming with the Bimini Sharklab for a JAWsome open day with grade 5 & 6 students from Bimini Primary School. Students learned about the research being done at the lab, local shark species and the importance of the various local ecosystems.

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Thanks to the lab staff, volunteers, teachers and students for making this an amazing day of learning!

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Image: Sophie Hart Photography

Our ambassador Eimear Manning gave a more advanced Sharks4Kids workshop at the ECO-UNESCO Youth Summit in Dublin, Ireland. There were over 60 people (aged 15 - 18) from 4 different countries!

Thanks to Helen Shramkova-Kapatsin for welcoming us into your school for a Skype in the classroom shark lesson. We love seeing educators use our FREE educational materials as well. Thanks for all the FIN tastic questions and for spreading shark education!

Founder Jillian Morris spoke to over 1200 students during her webinar as part of the National Biodiversity Teach-In. Students from Illinois and other states were able to learn about shark science and conservation. They were also able to ask Jillian lots of questions. Thanks to everyone who participated!

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This week we spoke to students from 6 US States and 4 different countries. Skype is a very valuable tool for helping us spread shark education around the world.

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Learn More

During 3 shark science sessions, we spoke to almost 450 students from Norway, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Texas, Georgia, Michigan and Tennessee.

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Thanks to all the classrooms who joined us!

We teamed up with Kelly Sweeting from Dolphin Communication Project to to teach students at Bimini Primary about sharks and dolphins. We compared and contrasted the animals, teaching students that all animals in the ocean are important and we need to protect them all.

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Read Kelly's BLOG

We are thrilled to announce that 1% of sales from each TRULI WETSUIT will be donated to our education and outreach programs. We love these suits and are thrilled to be partnering with such a great company!

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READ FULL ARTICLE

Our team member Chloe taught the group about shark anatomy, biology,  science and conservation.

We kicked off the year with our first shark science education day at the Marine Environmental Education Center.  41 students age 5-14 joined us for a presentation and hands on activities.

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Special thanks to Respect the Fin and FinPinShop for supporting this program.

Founder Jillian visited Challenger Elementary and did 5 presentations for students in grade 2-5. Thanks to science teacher Mrs. Tse for organization and encouraging your students to learn about shark conservation.

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We teamed up with the Bimini Sharklab to visit Bimini Primary. We spoke to all students in grades 1-6 and talked about how scientists study sharks and why.

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Education is critical in the shark sanctuary, so we are working to inspire the next generation of shark advocates .

We had a great day teaching students about sharks and our programs at the Sandoway Discovery Center's Shark Fest. Thanks to Chloe for leading the team!

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Our team had a JAWsome time at West Dade Regional Library. Thanks to Tyler, Halie and Jesse for teaching people about sharks and our programs!

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Thanks to the library for hosting such a wonderful event.

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Founder Jillian Morris' images were featured on Diver Magazine's page.

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ARTICLE HERE

We teamed up with the Bimini Sharklab to teach students about shark science. We spoke to 15 classrooms and over 300 students from schools in the US, Canada and France.

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Message us for information on how to join the next hangout.

Our founder Jillian Morris is featured in the latest Career Connections Magazine from Scholastic.

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The article highlights unique STEM careers and how kids can get involved!

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DOWNLOAD HERE

We attended the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit and once again it was an inspiring event. We spoke to hundreds of students and educators, all wanting to make a difference for our oceans.

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We had a FIN tastic time teaching Girl Scout Troops 14010 and 10863 all about shark science. We also talked about Women in STEM and pursuing career paths in marine science. Thanks to all the girls who joined us. Specials thanks to the Marine Environmental Education Center for collaborating for the program!

Thanks to the South Florida home school students who joined us for a day of shark science at the Marine Environmental Education Center. Students were able to see equipment used for shark tagging and do hands on activities.

We launched our website on Nov 7, 2013 and it has been an incredible journey. We spoken to over 80, 000 students in 44 countries and 47 US States. We traveled around the world both in person and virtually to speak to kids. Thanks to everyone who has made our work possible. We are really excited about the next 5 years!

We celebrated our 5 year anniversary by discussing shark education with nearly 100 teachers from Broward County. Thanks to the MEEC for including us in this amazing educational day.

We had a FIN tastic time teaming up with Bimini Sharklab for 2 shark science Google Hangouts. We spoke to over 600 students, teaching them about shark science and shark tagging. We love providing this opportunity for students to see shark science in action.

Our ambassador Patrick Burke teamed up with Dr. Barbara Wueringer of Sharks and Rays Australia for a week of shark and sawfish education. They traveled to 4 schools in remotes parts of North Queensland, teaching 150 kids all about these amazing animals and why they deserve protection.

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Our ambassador Cailla partnered up with UNF and Keep Jax Beach Clean for a JAWsome Halloween celebration. Guests did shark themed yoga before doing a beach cleanup in their costumes! Thanks to everyone who supported the event and helped clean the beach!

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"Had a blast teaching the students of Seaside Charter about SHARKS!🦈 One student told me that I helped her get over her fear of sharks! The power of education and awareness is SO powerful💪🏻 The students even had the chance to be shark biologists and work up a shark just like we do on the research boat!" 🦈🌊 -words by and photos of our JAWsome ambassador Cailla Strobel rocking shark education to some 1st graders!

Our New England Outreach Director Jessica spoke to a FIN tastic group of students at the Ellsworth Public Library. After the presentation students participated in hands on shark activities to learn more about these amazing animals.

We kicked off Project AWARE's AWARE week a little early with students in Bimini, The Bahamas. High school students joined us and Bimini Scuba Center for a snorkel with sharks and rays and a beach cleanup. Thanks to Project Aware for the bags and metal straws for everyone!

Our North Florida team taught kids about sharks and shark teeth at the MOAS Natural History Festival. Kids got to learn about sharks by investigating fossil teeth. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth! If you are interested in a shark education program in this area please message us info@sharks4kids.com

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Our founder Jillian Morris was featured in Shape Magazine as a women who will make you want to get your dive certification! The world of scuba diving is incredible and we encourage kids and adults to dive in! It's fun, but also helps support shark and ocean conservation.

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ARTICLE

18 amazing guests joined our team for the trip of a lifetime! We had over 30 different white sharks show up and the conditions were perfect. Join our 2019 expedition

Our New England team spent the day at Mystic Aquarium celebrating Women in STEM.  Thanks to the aquarium for hosting such a FIN tastic event and for promoting women in science! We met a lot of wonderful people and had a blast teaching kids about sharks!

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Our team had a blast at Mote Marine Lab's Shark Days event! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to learn about our programs!

Our ambassador Tyler Mahler had a JAWsome time at West Dade Regional Library teaching families about sharks and shark diving. Thanks so much to the Miami-Dade Public Library System for welcoming us once again!

Our Tampa area team headed to Crayola Experience in Orlando for a colorful day of shark education. Students learned about shark coloration and got to go on a VR shark dive! Check out our NEW coloring sheet made just for the event.

We had a blast learning how to paint a hammerhead shark with the incredibly talented Kelly Quinn. Thanks to Bill Jackson's for hosting this event and to everyone who came out in support. A portion of each ticket was donated to our education and outreach programs! Art for a cause!

We had another JAWsome week at OdySEA Aquarium, teaching kid about shark science and filming sharks. Our team did presentations, activities and even got to dive with some of the amazing sharks!

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Another JAWsome year at Shark Con! Thanks to Spencer Steward for your support and for creating such a great event! Our founders Jillian Morris and Duncan Brake both spoke and we launched our new VR shark dive! It was an amazing weekend and we cannot wait for 2019!

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ALBUM HERE

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Our team had a FIN tastic time at the Stoked on Salt Conservation Day! Special thanks to Saltwater Brewery for donating proceeds from the event to support our shark education days at the MEEC. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth to learn about sharks and our programs!

Thanks to Fuzzy's Taco ( Tampa, FL) for once again helping us kick off Shark Con with a FIN tastic fundraiser! Thanks to all the companies that donated and to everyone who donated for tickets. We had a JAWsome time! Specials thanks to Ian Lieberman and Sara Steward for making this event possible!

Founder Jillian Morris was listed by Sport Diver Magazine as one of the 5 most iconic scuba diving women. She is named along side legends Dr. Sylvia Earle, Valerie Taylor and Dottie Frazier.

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READ FULL ARTICLE

Founder Jillian Morris was named as one of the 18 most influential women of conservation by Ocean Geographic Magazine. She is listed alongside inspiring pioneers Sylvia Earle and Valeria Taylor.

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Download Magazine HERE

We teamed up Bahamas National Trust to host a week long shark camp in Nassau, The Bahamas. Jillian and Leann did presentations and led shark science activities. The students (age 8-15) also did daily field trips and then presented shark conservation projects for their parents at the end of this JAWsome week.

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Waterkeepers Bahamas hosted a SwimTayka camp in Bimini for local students and we teamed up with Bimini Sharklab to teach them about shark science. We spent one day the school talking about different shark tags and then the students visited the lab to see a shark work up in action.

Our Irish ambassador Eimear and her boss Kealan spent TWO WHOLE DAYS with St. Canice's Girls National School in Finglas, Dublin! The students learned tonnes about sharks and rays (and even lots about seahorses from Kealan!) They even got the chance to use the touchpools!

Thanks to Deeper Blue for sharing our work. We are spreading shark education around the world! Learn more about our recent programs in this article!

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ARTICLE

Outreach director Michelle Andersen and ambassador Gabriel Jensen had a JAWsome time teaching people about sharks at the Orlando Science Center. The center hosted conservation and education groups to help celebrate World Oceans Day.

Our ambassador Breanna Racicot had a blast speaking to 50 preschool students at All Saints Catholic School in Norwalk, Connecticut. Thanks to Jennifer Silva-Sadder and Miss Milo for coordinating. This visit was inspired by Jennifer's son Lucas and his love for sharks!

Our ambassador Jessica hosted a JAWsome shark education night for the Lithgow Library's Tween Scene.

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Students all about sharks and enjoyed some shark themed snacks! Interested in a library program? Message info@sharks4kids.com to schedule.

We teamed up with the Bimini Sharklab to do a special program for the Waterkeepers Bahamas junior ambassadors! The students learned all about shark science, sharks of the Bahamas and the Bahamas Shark Sanctuary. We look forward to working with this amazing group again in the future.

Our ambassador Amy recently visited a school in Owensboro, Kentucky and spoke to 50 kindergarten students. It was a JAWsome day and the students had lots of great questions. No matter where we live, the ocean and sharks are important!

Our outreach director Michelle visited Girl Scout Troop 819 to speak about sharks and shark science. Sharks are for girls too and we love spreading this message to students around the world! The troop had a blast and learned how to be a voice for sharks! Message us if you are interested in a lesson for your school or group.

We kicked off our Shark Education program in collaboration the Miami Dade Library System. Jillian and Michelle visited the Northeast Dade Branch and spoke to nearly 40 students and parents. Students also participated in hands on activities and enjoyed some FIN tastic coloring sheets. Check out the LIBRARY website for future programs.

We had another JAWsome shark science and education day at the Marine Environmental Education Center in Florida. 50 students age 7-14 joined us to learn all about sharks and shark science. The older session students were able to watch Dr. Derek Burkholder dissect a shark that was donated to the center.

We teamed up with the Bimini Sharklab and Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center to teacher nearly 150 grade 1-6 students all about shark science, the Bahamas shark sanctuary and shark diving. Our founder Jillian was joined by Sharklab outreach director Collin Davis and Kevion Knowles, a shark dive guide from the scuba center! It was a JAWsome day. Thanks to all the staff and students for welcoming us.

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PHOTOS

Our media director Duncan Brake just finished filming for the third Shark Week show he has worked on this year. This shoot took place in Cat Island and featured Oceanic Whitetips. Stay tuned for Shark Week July 22-

Our founder Jillian Morris was recently featured in an article from PADI for her work as a conservationists. She was listed alongside ocean and shark heroes Sylvia Earle and Eugenie Clark.

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“We are constantly creating new programs and educational materials, expanding our reach and creating the next generation of shark advocates. I also really want to share my work with girls and women, showing them that marine science and shark diving are for them too. There are misconceptions about these careers being more suited for men, but this is not true at all. I hope to inspire and encourage girls and women to explore the world of sharks.” — Jillian Morris

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READ ARTICLE

Dr. Derek Burkholder spoke to the Hollywood Lions Club about the shark and turtle research he does for Guy Harvey Research Institute and Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

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We teamed up with the Bimini Biological Field Station to host 2 shark science Google Hangouts and they were JAWsome. We had 11 schools and nearly 400 students on camera with us! The student had really great questions and got to see a live shark! Thanks to everyone who joined us.

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Links to watch the hangouts below!

Session 1

Session 2

Our ambassador Eimear Manning spoke to over 300 students at St Laurence O'Toole National School in Ireland. The students learned all about sharks and marine life.

ADEX asked us to have a booth in the kids section and we had a JAWsome time! We met a lot of incredible people. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello!

Our team had a JAWsome time raising shark awareness in the Conservation Village. We had interactive games and lots of shark costumes! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and thanks to Rock the Ocean for hosting such an incredible event.

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This year ADEX ( Asian Diving Expo) was dedicated to sharks and our founder was asked to speak about her work in shark conservation. Jillian spoke about using science and media for conservation.

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Image: Alex Suh

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Read more about the event HERE

Sharks4Kids shark education tour in Singapore was a huge success. We spoke to over 1300 students at 13 schools. The students and teachers were amazing. Special thanks to ADEX and Ocean Geographic for making this trip possible!

The Marine Science Club at Stockton University hosted a week of sharky events including trivia nights, video screenings and lectures. Our co founder Dr. Derek Burkholder gave the culminating seminar on shark research and conservation.

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VIDEO CLIP

Sharks4Kids launched it's official partnership with the Bahamas National Trust with a shark education week in Nassau. Founder Jillian Morris and Outreach Director Michelle Andersen spoke on 5 radio shows, visited 11 schools, worked with 2 BNT Discovery Clubs and did a presentation for Ministry of Education teachers. In total they spoke with just over 900 students and teachers in 3 days! They were also able to donate 12 copies of Norman the Nurse Shark to primary schools! It was an incredible visit and we are extremely excited about future projects as well!

Our ambassador Jessica Woodend spoke with LOTS of shark enthusiasts at the Maine Science Festival. Sharks4Kids was thrilled to be at such a great event, inspiring the next generation of shark scientists and conservationists.

Our volunteer Cailla Strobel attended the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference where she got to educate other fellow scientists about our program and the work we are doing.

"The power of EDUCATION is amazing... you can’t help fix an issue if you have no knowledge of the issue. This is my goal. To educate and bring awareness to the public, so they too can be aware of the issues and tell their friends and create that chain reaction. Changing the public’s perspective of sharks is the first step in their conservation and preservation."

Thanks for your work Cailla. We are proud to have you on our team!

One hundred people in Maine came out to their local libraries to learn all about sharks. Our Ambassador, Jessica Woodend, visited the Windham Public Library and the Auburn Public Library on February 22nd. The audience learned about the parts of a shark and all of their amazing adaptations. We think it's safe to say that we have a few more shark advocates after such a fun afternoon.

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Once again we teamed up with Marine Environmental Education  to provide a FREE shark science education for students. Our founder Jillian taught students all about shark tagging and why we do it. The students got to see different types of tags and even got to see how fast they could collect work up data. The older session watched our very own Dr. Derek Burkholder dissect an Atlantic Sharpnose sharks. All the students also got to meet Captain, the green sea turtle.
Special thanks to ambassadors Tyler Mahler Mariana Saboga ( thanks Mariana for also taking photos) and student intern Gabriela Alvarez. Thanks to our good friends Missy Tougas and Joey Maier for taking photos.

Thanks to the staff and volunteers and MEEC for supporting this day and to all the students and parents who joined us.

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FULL ALBUM HERE

We once again teamed up with the Guy Harvey Research Institute to offer students the opportunity to participate in shark research. Students from New River Middle School were able to catch, tag and release a lemon shark and two sandbar sharks. All students participated in aspects of the research from setting the lines to tagging the sharks.

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SEE FULL ALBUM HERE

Our ambassador Enie Hensel gave a presentation called 'Power of Predators' for a group of 50 teens and parents. The talk discussed the important role sharks play in ocean ecosystems.

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Read more HERE

 The Bauder Elementary science fair was an educational experience for all attendees as well as our shark experts. The Bauder elementary students had more than 15 interactive science experiments for kids to try and even take home to explain to their families. The kids then stopped by our table to show us these cool experiments and talk about shark sizes, feeding patterns, and even their ideas on saving sharks. “I’m always impressed with the ideas kids have to save sharks and the ocean. They truly have viable solutions without the boundaries of corporate structure or finance. It’s extremely refreshing to hear.”-Nick Villers ( Sharks4Kids Ambassador)

Jillian was featured in the article titled Meet the Scuba Divers Encouraging More Women to Start Diving.

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"When we look through books, magazines, or watch TV shows featuring the ocean, most times we see male hosts, male divers, and male scientists," says Jillian Morris a PADI instructor, biologist, and founder of Sharks4Kids. "From a young age, we're given a subconscious message this is not for us. When I first started diving I couldn't find gear that fit properly and was told I couldn't buy a certain buoyancy control device (BCD) because it was not for women."

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FULL ARTICLE

Our ambassador Breanna Racicot went back to the elementary school she graduated from and had an amazing time with whole 3rd grade class at Dr. Charles E Murphy School in Montville, Connecticut. The kids asked tons of questions and were fascinated with cookie cutter sharks and whale sharks ! Their teacher printed out work sheets and made them packets to go color and work on for fun ! Thanks to Mrs. Winakor and Mrs. Combs.

We've visited a lot of schools on a lot of islands in The Bahamas, but we recently visited the Comprehensive School on Staniel Cay. There were only 6 students, but they were all really excited about sharks. We were impressed with their knowledge of sharks and loved all their amazing questions. They even treated us to a mini Christmas pageant after our talk. We were also able to give them a copy of Norman the Nurse Shark, which is based in this area.

Our Regional Outreach Director Michelle Andersen spoke at Mote Marine Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida for their Youth Ocean Conservation Summit. She spoke about what it means to be an ambassador for sharks and some of the difficulties that come with standing up for sharks. Sharks can be a controversial topic and it’s important to listen and understand all opinions to create a conversation about the importance of these animals rather than arguing. Kids can make a huge difference for our oceans so preparing them to speak out is essential.

We hosted our first Shark Science and Education Day at the Marine Environmental Education Center in Hollywood, Florida. 50 students, aged 7-13, learned all about shark science and participated in some FIN tastic hands on activities.  See the FULL ALBUM HERE

Our founder Jillian Morris met with Dr. Sylvia Earle at the DEMA show in Orlando, Florida. "Sylvia Earle has been a lifelong inspiration, so giving her a copy of my first book was truly incredible." Sharks4Kids is proud to be a Mission Blue partner, inspiring the next generation of ocean ambassadors and advocates.

Our Connecticut ambassador Breanna taught a group of 5-7 year old 4H members all about sharks over the weekend. The students enjoyed drawing their own sharks and some of our other educational activities.

Our Tampa area regional ambassadors Mollie and Zack visited Taylor Ranch Elementary School, speaking to over 200 grade 2-4 students about sharks and shark science. Thanks to Louanne Steele for organizing this outreach program.

Our founder Jillian visited grade 6 students at Berwick Academy, teaching them all about shark tagging and shark science. She also spoke to a group of home school students at the South Berwick Library.

Our ambassador Enie visited Hope Town Primary in Abaco, The Bahamas to teach students about sharks and shark science. The Bahamas is a shark sanctuary, so education is critical in maintaining the current shark protections.

Our Tampa area education team had a blast at FWC's Marine Quest Event held at FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. We met so many wonderful people and enjoyed teaching kids all about sharks and why they are important. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to say hello.

Our ambassadors Nick and Ashley had a FIN tastic time teaching people about sharks and handing out gummy sharks ( the only kind we would ever eat) at Mote Marine Lab's Night of Fish, Fun and Fright. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Shark enthusiasts of all ages gathered at the Freeport Community Library to learn about sharks and how we can help them. The library hosted a shark craft night the week before to get everyone excited for Shark Night! After our ambassador Jessica Woodend shared some fun facts and shark activities, all of the kids made a shark bookmark to use in their library books. It was a FINtastic event and we cannot wait until the next!

Our founder Jillian Morris was a guest on the SCICOMM Monday podcast, speaking about Sharks4Kids, her shark research and shark conservation. You can listen to the podcast HERE.

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Check out SCICOMM Monday each week as scientists from around the world share their work.

Our media director and co-founder Duncan Brake launched his new website, sharing his work as a camera operator around the world. See his work HERE.

Our co-founder Dr. Derek Burkholder was presented with a South Florida Business Journal 40 Under 40 award for his work in the community. Burkholder, Ph.D., is the principal investigator for the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, and a Research Scientist with the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Save Our Seas Shark Center. In addition he works with the Marine Environmental Education Center which allows students and the community to expand their understanding of sea turtles and coastal marine ecosystems. Read full article HERE.

Jillian Morris has dedicated her life to promoting and protecting sharks. After snorkeling with a nurse shark as a child, Jillian was inspired to learn more about the ocean and the sharks who live there. She studied behavioral biology and eventually became a PADI Divemaster and led shark-focused dive trips. We caught up with Jillian during a video shoot with shark bite survivor and shark ambassador Mike Coots. Watch video HERE and read full article HERE.

Co-founder and media director Duncan Brake did the underwater filming for Shark Week's Devil Sharks, which airs July 26 at 10:00 pm EST. The show features Dr. Mike Heithaus as he explores volcanic regions around the world to see why sharks aggregate near them.

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WATCH EPISODE

Co-founder and media director Duncan Brake did the underwater filming for Shark Week's Great Hammerhead Invasion, which airs July 23 at 10:00 pm EST. The show features the Bimini Biological Field Station and their ongoing research to better understand the great hammerhead shark.

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WATCH PROMO

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WATCH EPISODE

Founder Jillian Morris was featured as one of the 5 dive industry leading ladies in a recent article from PADI. She was asked to highlight another woman who has inspired her journey as a diver. Read full article HERE.

Jillian Morris and Duncan Brake spent a week teaching kids about shark science and shark tagging at Odysea Aquarium in Scottsdale, Arizona. They did daily outreach activities and presentations, as well as a special evening talk. This was part of the aquarium's month long celebration of sharks. 

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This was our 3rd year at Shark Con and each year gets better and better. Our team spent 2 days teaching kids and families all about sharks and our programs. Our booth was packed, as kids enjoyed hands on tagging activities and incredible face and body painting. 

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Special thanks once again to Fuzzy's Taco Shop in Brandon, Florida for hosting our Shark Con kick off party and fundraiser. Guests enjoyed tasty food, entered a raffle for some incredible prizes and even met the director of the Sharknado movies, Anthony C. Ferrante. Thanks also to Sara Steward for organizing and getting some of the amazing raffle prizes. See you guys in Tampa again for Shark Con 2018.

The National Marine Educators Association conference was held in Charleston, South Carolina this year and Sharks4Kids was represented by founder Jillian Morris and regional ambassador Leann Winn. This conference was a great opportunity to meet science teachers from around the world and plan new collaborations. 

A.D. Henderson & FAU High School students joined us for a Guy Harvey Research Institute tagging expedition. The students caught, tagged and released a nurse shark and a sandbar shark. They were also able to see a large free swimming tiger shark! Great day on the water teaching the next generation of ocean advocates about sharks, shark science and shark conservation. Special thanks to our friends at Ultimate Software, Inc. for making this possible!!!!

Saba is another incredible island in the Dutch Caribbean and we were thrilled to return for our 2nd educational program. Thanks to Saba Conservation Foundation for making this trip possible. Saba is part of the Yarari marine mammal and shark sanctuary, so community education is critical for maintaining and monitoring these sanctuaries. Saba is a tiny island, but they are doing amazing conservation work and we love partnering with them to make sure sharks are safe for years to come. 

This year we did our 3rd visit to this incredible little island. Our education program was been made possible by the incredible team at STENAPA . Island nations are vital for healthy shark populations, so we love working with communities to help them understand the economic and environmental importance of sharks. For this trip,  Jillian was joined by regional outreach director Michelle Andersen. They visited schools and community centers to teach students all about sharks, shark science and conservation. 

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Our founder Jillian Morris was selected to join the team of PADI Ambassdivers because of her conservation and education work. 

What does it mean to be a PADI AmbassaDiver?

"It means being a voice for the dive community, for women, and for our oceans. It means sharing my underwater journey and encouraging others to slip beneath the surface and find a world they never imagined possible. I hope it also means inspiring the next generation of shark and ocean advocates."

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Read full article HERE

Our team had a JAWsome time visiting Colegio Maya, The American International School in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Thanks to teacher Emily Fano for making the trip possible and for her inspiring her students to care about sharks. The second grade students organized a Shark Bonanza for the whole school and created a FIN tastic Shark Week! They wrote shark books, made videos, performed a Reader's Theater and threw a JAWsome shark party for us ( with cupcakes!!) We spent 3 full days doing presentations about sharks, sharks found around Guatemala, local and global issues, shark science and conservation. 

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Our collaborative shark tagging program with Guy Harvey Research Institute and Pompano Dive Center, allows us to get kids in the field for hands on STEM education. The students were able to catch, tag and release 2 sandbar sharks. The also saw a great hammerhead, which was quickly released. The students took length measurements ( PCL, FL, TL), tissue samples ( DNA & Stable isotop) and then inserted a roto tag before releasing the sharks. Thanks to all our supporters, especially Tony Ernst, who made this day possible.

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April 16-20: Sharks4Kids traveled to Little Rock Arkansas to teach students about sharks! Over the course of 3 full days Jillian Morris and Leann Winn spoke to students, teachers and families at Pulaski Academy, The Dive Shop II , Christ Lutheran School, The Anthony School, Little Rock AR and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas Thank to everyone who made us feel so welcome and to the Rollefson family ( Bill, Joy & Patrik) for making this trip possible! Special thanks to Joy Rollefson for organizing and for making everything run smoothly!!! 

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Thanks to Rock The Ocean for hosting us in the Conservation Village at Tortuga Music Festival. We had a blast teaching people all about sharks and how they can help save these amazing animals. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and the RTO team for doing so much for ocean conservation!!

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Our co-founder Dr. Derek Burkholder won the prestigious Blue Friend of the Year Award from The Loggerhead Marine Life Center. The Eighth Annual Go Blue Awards Luncheon recognized businesses, nonprofits and individuals who have promoted, implemented or contributed to a “Blue” lifestyle of marine conservation.

Awards were given to those who are leading the way in raising awareness and who have made significant contributions to improve and protect our oceans, beaches and wildlife. Read full article HERE

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