Since 2014, Sanibel Sea School and The Heights Foundation have worked together to remove barriers that prevent children in Harlem Heights from experiencing the coastal world that surrounds them — yet often feels inaccessible.

Located five miles from the coast, Harlem Heights is a severely distressed community, where children experience poverty at twice the rate of the rest of Lee County. The Heights Foundation was created to change that story — through expanding education, building opportunity, and supporting family strength at every level.

“For more than a decade, our partnership has brought the mission behind those goals to life through ocean access, experiential education, and joyful time spent outdoors,” said Sanibel Sea School Director Shannon Rivard.

Every month, Sanibel Sea School picks students up directly from The Heights Center Afterschool Program, drives out to the coast, and gives them the chance to place their feet in saltwater — sometimes for the first time.

“We flip rocks, examine tiny snails, watch herons hunt, learn how to identify shells, play silly games, and experience the emotional grounding of being near the water,” said Rivard. “At the end of the afternoon, we drive them back to their neighborhood center — salt-streaked, sandy, tired, and happy.”

Our most recent trip to the beach was on Nov. 13, when 25 students joined enthusiastic marine science educators to explore Bunche Beach at low tide. They took a beach walk and explored the waters with nets where the students were fascinated by horseshoe crabs, snails, sponges, hermit crabs, and so much more.

With the help of educators, kids got a chance to view these marine creatures up close and learn more about them.

“My favorite creature we saw today was a horseshoe crab,” said one student. “I’ve never seen one before, and it was really cool to let it walk across my hand.”

This partnership exists so that a child’s zip code doesn’t determine whether they have the opportunity to experience nature.

“Spending time outdoors is one of the most powerful protective factors for mental health and emotional regulation in young people. It lowers stress, builds confidence, and increases curiosity,” said Rivard.

The innovative Heights Foundation focuses deeply on offering opportunities that break cycles of generational poverty — tutoring for struggling students, job training for parents, access to lifelong learning, wellness, the arts, and supportive systems that uplift families. Sanibel Sea School extends that mission outward into the natural world — ensuring that connection to the coast is part of that future too.

“When kids feel loved and more connected to the ocean, they begin to envision a different kind of future for it and themselves,” said Rivard. “We call it ‘A Chance to Sea.’  It’s not just a program. It’s a promise that every child deserves a chance to feel the ocean change them.”

If you’d like to support the future of for kids from Harlem Heights, please consider donating to Sanibel Sea School or The Heights Foundation. Visit sanibelseaschool.org/a-chance-to-sea or heightsfoundation.org to support these impactful programs.

Sanibel Sea School partners with four other nonprofits on mainland Lee County that regularly experience A Chance to Sea, as well as public school classes from Hendry and Glades Counties.

Part of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) since 2020, Sanibel Sea School’s mission is to improve the ocean’s future, one person at a time.