EF International Language School’s Santa Barbara campus, Heal the Ocean and Looking Good Santa Barbara teamed up for a massive cleanup of both the downtown area and Santa Barbara South County beaches in honor of Earth Day, April 22, 2016.

Over 300 EF International students spread out to work on 10 beaches from Devereaux to Summerland, while another 200 students hit the downtown area. 

The beach work was organized by Heal the Ocean, with funding help for the equipment provided by the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, founded by Kim and Jack Johnson to support environmental, art and music education. 

Kristen Reilly, EF Santa Barbara school director, says it is the school’s vision to further introduce the beach-city clean up model to other EF West-coast schools, including San Diego, Redondo Beach, San Francisco, Seattle and Honolulu. 

EF International Language Centers is the world leader in language education, including over 40 schools and offices in 53 countries.

Heal the Ocean is a 3,000-member citizen’s action group in Santa Barbara with a focus on upgrading wastewater infrastructure as a way of improving ocean water quality.

Looking Good Santa Barbara is a City of Santa Barbara program with the mission to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost and contribute to a clean community through graffiti and litter abatement. 

— Hillary Hauser is the executive director of Heal the Ocean.