Environmental Education 

Teaching about the environment and conservation from a young age is the best way to ensure that a child grows up to value their natural resources and promote conservation. (Read more about The Need for Environmental Education)

Schools and Communities

Because most Nicaraguan schools lack the resources to implement environmental education into the curriculum, Paso Pacifico initiated an environmental education program in 2007 with three schools in the Paso del Istmo, which has now expanded to eight schools. The Binocular-for-Slingshot Exchange has been one of the most successful components of Paso Pacifico’s environmental education program. 

Paso Pacifico’s environmental education program includes a significant component on ocean conservation, particularly for those communities lying in coastal areas where often more than half the community is involved in fishing and other ocean-related livelihoods.  Children and adults alike have received outreach about the value of sea turtles, diverse species of fish, etc. in their surrounding ecosystems, and 15 young adults have received eco-tourism training and started their own community eco-tourism guide micro-enterprise.

   Engaging the Surf Community

In Fall 2010, Paso Pacifico’s environmental education program will expand to Nicaragua’s local surf community, thanks to the generous support of the Surf Industry Manufacturer’s Association.  Though adventurous ex-patriots have been surfing in Nicaragua for years, surfing has become increasingly popular with young Nicaraguans, particularly in many of the rural fishing communities where Paso Pacifico works. Paso Pacífico will hire and coordinate with a local surfer to educate peers about marine conservation issues. Program initiatives such as beach clean-ups at popular surf breaks and marine species protection, are already helping us to grow a culture of activism while protecting Nicaragua’s spectacular Pacific Coast.