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ABOUT the program
Saltwater Superheroes is a program created by Class XXIX of Leadership Monroe County, a respected organization whose soul mission is to cultivate, educate and empower local leaders in the Florida Keys. The Saltwater Superheroes Program is an environmental education opportunity for middle-school students in the Florida Keys.
Our island chain is surrounded by and dependent on fragile marine ecosystems — mangroves, seagrass, sponges, coral reefs and deep ocean habitats.
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Our goal is to expose Keys students to their local environment, therefore, creating stewards of change in protecting our fragile Keys ecosystem.
You can help by sponsoring a single child or an entire group.
Make your pledge today!
ABOUT marine lab
MarineLab is the education arm of Marine Resources Development Foundation (MRDF), a 501(c)3 organization founded in 1970 in the US Virgin Islands. After years of conducting research and developing underwater research stations and the technology for living and working in the sea, MRDF's founder Ian Koblick turned his eyes towards Florida and expanding MRDF's activities to include education.
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In 1984, the MarineLab Undersea Classroom was put in the turning basin of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The first students to be part of a MarineLab program came from Broward County, FL, and spent at least one night in the undersea classroom. In 1985, a property nearby was acquired with its own lagoon, and the MarineLab Undersea Classroom was relocated. The facility was renovated to provide dorms, an exisiting restaurant building was renovated as a cafeteria, and boats were acquired. The first snorkeling MarineLab program was offered in 1985.
How you Can Help
$50
FIRST MATE
Will send a single student
$250
CREW LEVEL
will send a ½ a boat
5 students
$500
SHIP LEVEL
Will send a large boat.
14-18 students
$1000
FLEET LEVEL
Will send 3 small boats.
27 students
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Program Sponsors!
With your help, Delta Force and our partners will ensure that every Keys kid sees and experiences our saltwater surroundings from the deck of a boat.
It's a world they have to see to believe. And they can't protect what they've never seen.
Please consider supporting Saltwater Superheroes with a personal donation or professional sponsorship. (Click here for donation & sponsorship information.)
By becoming a Saltwater Superhero, you and your business will help Delta Force (Class XXIX) of Leadership Monroe County inspire the next generation to protect a place we can't replace.
fleet level
ship level
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