Educational Outreach

Operation Shoestring provides year-round academic, social and emotional support to children in central Jackson from pre-K – 12th grade, while supporting and providing resources to their families.  This summer, Pearl Riverkeeper is partnering with Operation Shoestring to provide water education for their Project Rise summer camp.  From Operation Shoestring:  "At our Project Rise summer camp kids like Georgia have empowering, exciting, and enriching experiences that broaden the scope of what she thought was possible in her life. Abby Braman, executive director of Pearl Riverkeeper was the first person Georgia had ever met that worked in environmentalism, and now the Walton Elementary student thinks that maybe she'll grow up to be like her. 'She protects nature, like the turtles. She even holds them! It's so cool,' Georgia reflected when she got to Operation Shoestring.  And it's through these experiences that Georgia and her peers build the foundations of a healthy, hopeful, and self-determined life. Partner with us at operationshoestring.org/support"

Pearl Riverkeeper was also fortunate this summer to spend time at beautiful Lake Pushmataha chatting with the Choctaw Youth Conservation Corps about environmental non-profits, careers in conservation, the importance of water quality protections and demonstrating water testing procedures. "The Choctaw Youth Conservation Corps is a comprehensive youth program that provides tribal youth work-based opportunities in the field of environmental conservation, natural resources management, and related aspects of the outdoor professional study through a 4-week long summer project that strengthens the protection, conservancy, and maintenance of natural resources on the Choctaw tribal lands, with an emphasis on the preserving cultural significant locations, such as Nanih Waiya. Participants assist with actual natural resources management work tasks, participate daily in hands-on activities in order to build on tribal stewardship and appreciation for our tribal natural resources and participate in educational, cultural and environmental learning taught by tribal, state and federal researchers and professionals." Thank you, Mitzi Reed and CYCC!