Growing connections with CSUMB

Shortly after California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) opened in 1995, we developed a long-lasting partnership that continues to grow. We provide a free admission ticket to every CSUMB Otter (the sea otter is the school mascot) and welcome many as volunteers so they can complete the university’s mandatory servicelearning requirement.

Over the years, we’ve added new opportunities, including paid internships. For more than 15 years, we’ve hosted one-day workshops at CSUMB for student teachers, helping them learn how they can utilize cultural institutions like aquariums in their teaching. Our newest yearlong institute for educators, Designing for Equity, Community, and the Ocean, is part of a growing partnership between CSUMB’s School of Education and our staff.

“We’re partnering closely with CSUMB to prepare a new generation of teachers who look like the students they will be teaching. The socioeconomic and cultural diversity of the CSUMB student body makes it an ideal partner.”

— Jenny de la Hoz, Vice President of Education

In fall 2023, two high school graduates will receive the first scholarships we’re awarding through the George P. Shultz Future Leaders Scholarship Fund.

The scholarship — named to honor former Secretary of State Shultz, who passed away in February 2021 and was a former trustee of the Aquarium — will cover tuition at CSUMB, housing, and living expenses. The recipients will also receive mentoring from Aquarium staff as they prepare for and attend college.

Our growing connections with CSUMB are opening doors for a diverse group of young ocean leaders and strengthening our ability to inspire conservation of the ocean in people of all ages.

Meeting teens’ emotional needs

To support teens as they explore difficult environmental issues like plastic pollution, climate change, and threats to ocean biodiversity, we hired our first full-time Youth Development Instructional Coach. Andrew Clemente, a licensed school counselor, provides teens with time to process what they’re learning and helps them explore how they can be a part of the solution. He also helps teens navigate stress related to personal, family, and community struggles, including the persistent impacts of systemic racism on their lives.

In his new role, Andrew is helping to make mental well-being and social-emotional skills a central element of all our Education programs — whether for teens, younger schoolchildren, or teachers.

He’s also ensuring our education staff have the tools they need so they can provide emotional support to teens they work with, too.

Opening doors for interns

We continue our commitment to providing stimulating opportunities so young adults can gain valuable work experience. For the past two years we have provided paid internships to encourage college students who are interested in conservation and marine-science related careers. The paid aspect of the internship is important for students who come from communities traditionally underrepresented in the sciences who may need to support themselves.

Last year, Martin Gil, a sophomore at Monterey Peninsula College, was an intern in our water science lab. He assisted our water quality team as they made sure the animals in our exhibits thrive. He also completed a project to help inform some of our veterinary procedures that take place underwater. His goal was to ensure a comfortable environment for animals receiving medical care.

“The internship provided me with hands-on experience I couldn’t get anywhere else in the world. Shadowing staff in different departments at the Aquarium built my understanding and appreciation for how complicated it is to keep exotic sea life healthy and thriving – from dissolved calcium in a coral tank to eye drops for sea otters.

I feel more confident in the laboratory and in the field — as both a chemist and a scientist — because I was mentored by professionals in their fields.”

— Martin Gil, sophomore