On Nov. 16, middle and high school students from New Horizons of Southwest Florida came out to Captiva for a No Child Left On Shore field trip. The No Child Left on Shore program is a joint outreach initiative between SCCF and Captiva Cruises to provide youth who rarely interact with our coastal ecosystem the chance to experience it up close. 

Thirty-two middle and high school students and four New Horizons staff boarded Captiva Cruises’ motor catamaran ‘The Playtime’ with the Captiva Cruises crew and SCCF Environmental Educator Richard Finkel for an afternoon of cruising, shoreline exploration, and environmental discovery. 

We asked some of the students what they thought of the trip:

• “Captiva Cruises and SCCF has offered me and my friends an amazing opportunity to visit Cayo Costa Island! It was such an awesome trip, and we learned so much along the way. We were able to learn about the wildlife that is in the coastal areas of where I grew up. It was beautiful to see such a pretty island so close to home.” – Onice R., Grade 12, Fort Myers
  
• “I wanted to see a beach. I never really knew what to expect, and I was glad I went. My favorite part of the cruise was going into the water and finding shells. The beach was really nice, and the sand felt soft and great under my feet.” – Luis M., Grade 10, Fort Myers
  
• “This was my first time experiencing this field trip. My favorite part about the cruise was going in the water and getting hit by huge waves. I enjoyed the captain’s presentation, he was very nice and very knowledgeable about the environment. I learned a lot about the surroundings and environment and learned a lot about shells. If I could go again, I would because I really enjoyed spending time with friends and the environment. I will definitely tell my other friends that didn’t go that they should go next year. Thank you and deepest appreciation from the bottom of my heart not only to Captiva Cruises and SCCF, but for New horizons for the privilege to go. Thank you for the opportunity.” – Nery M., Grade 7, Fort Myers
  
• “l was really looking forward to collecting seashells. Seashells are very beautiful and I wanted to have authentic ones for myself. I also really wanted to gift them to my mom. I love all of the shells I found. I would love to go again next year.” – Dina, Grade 7, Naples
  
• “What I was looking forward to most from the trip was going to see a dolphin, which I was able to see! What surprised me was seeing all the fish and several sea creatures caught in the net. My favorite part from the cruise was getting to walk on the beach. My favorite part about the beach was all its different types of shells.” – Emily V. Grade 8, Bonita Springs
  
• “My favorite part of the day was exploring the island and looking for shells. I liked the fish we saw when we got fish. I never saw fish like them before in person or otherwise and that was really fun to see. Thank you for the great opportunity. Thank you for New Horizons for letting me go to something like this. Thank you Captiva Cruises and SCCF for showing me something I normally can’t see.” – Josue R., Grade 10, Fort Myers
  
• “What I enjoyed about the field trip was spending time with my friends, finding tons of seashells, seeing a few sea animals such as a puffer fish, a starfish, and even a horseshoe crab. This trip has been very educational.” – Ashley G., Grade 12, Fort Myers

New Horizons of Southwest Florida‘s mission is to empower under-resourced youth to reach their full potential through tutoring, mentoring, community partnerships, and faith-building. They aim to see all at-risk youth complete high school with a plan for the future to become contributing members of society.

SCCF’s No Child Left On Shore fills the vital need of providing local youth with an informative and fun way to gain experiential knowledge of the ecology of the region’s marine environment. This enriching initiative enables local youth to form a deeper connection to their coastal surroundings and spark their curiosity.  

Interested in learning more or becoming a sponsor of a No Child Left On Shore field trip? Please contact Richard Finkel at rfinkel@sccf.org. SCCF gratefully acknowledges the support of The L.A.T. Foundation, the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Shirley Schlossman, and other donors who help sustain this program for our young Southwest Florida neighbors.