WEBVTT
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Language: en

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The NOAA Ocean Guardian School Program
is really an opportunity to have kids

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out in the environment, doing hands-on
projects that are really stewardship-based.

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So the kids are learning by doing.

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We're teaching kids that through doing these conservation projects and stewardship projects

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they're actually helping to protect the ocean.

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My name is Gianna and I'm an Ocean Guardian

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and why I love being an Ocean Guardian is

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because I really like saving sea animals.

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But what I don't like is if there's a bunch of plastic.

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That's not what I like to see.

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I would love to see more kids not sitting in classrooms

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but being outside in their environment

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because I really truly believe that by
having kids out here

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under cloudy skies, sunny skies, the crash of the waves in the background

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I think we're changing kids' lives.

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We're giving them the opportunity and I really feel like

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kids want, they want to know
how to fix this environment.

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They hear the stories and they want to 
know how they can change it.

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And we're giving these kids an opportunity
to have their environmental voice.

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We're lending them that opportunity.

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I did get to go to the
County Commissioners Office and speak

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so that they might be able to make a law to ban plastic straws in restaurants.

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That was pretty cool because I'm just, I'm
in fifth grade and I get to do that.

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I might be making a law so that would be cool.

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One of the greatest things about this program

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is that we're always trying to make the link
between education and resource protection.

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And this program has
really done that.

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We're seeing now that with the hard work of kids

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and getting them involved and the continued work that they are able to provide

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this is the first time that we've actually been able to link an education program

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with actually protecting the environment.

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So we're seeing it. These kids are doing it.

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We'd love to see this program into more schools,

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into more regions, into more
states across our country.

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We are Ocean Guardians!