Coastal indigenous people, who have relied on the ocean for sustenance and cultural connections for millennia, are feeling the negative impacts of climate change and ocean acidification to their way of life. Youth represent community decision makers of the future, so working with students to increase their ability to understand and adapt to changing ocean and coastal conditions is essential. Using the marine environment as a context for sharing, Ecosystem Pen Pals students connect with their surroundings, fostering local knowledge, cultural responsibility, and community resilience across the Pacific Ocean.
![Students from Chief Kitsap Academy provide a cultural performance at the Indigenous Youth Summit on Climate Change and Ocean Change. (Image credit: EarthEcho International) Students from Chief Kitsap Academy provide a cultural performance at the Indigenous Youth Summit on Climate Change and Ocean Change.](/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_width_1275/public/legacy/image/2019/Jun/Ecosystem%20Pen%20Pals%202%2016x9.jpg?itok=GIzPCe0_)
Students from Chief Kitsap Academy provide a cultural performance at the Indigenous Youth Summit on Climate Change and Ocean Change. (Image credit: EarthEcho International)