The Lagoon Legacy Project

What we've done

Project work so far.

Our first chapter started in West Shore classrooms, where students taught lagoon lessons, ran nitrogen tests, and turned what they learned into posters, newsletters, and ordinance outreach.

So far, we have:

Taught lagoon lessons at 2 elementary schools
Led nitrogen testing and runoff demonstrations
Reached 200+ students through Project: Save Our Lagoon
Won 3rd place internationally at Future Problem Solving
Launched Project: BLACKOUT for Brevard's June 1–September 30 fertilizer ordinance

Students taking part in a hands-on lagoon education activity — Hands-on classroom work from Project: Save Our Lagoon.

Reach

Two elementary schools

Early classroom outreach connected lagoon science with younger students in Brevard County.

Science

Nitrogen tests and runoff demos

Students measured nitrogen and showed how runoff moves nutrients toward the lagoon.

Materials

Posters and newsletters

Project materials were built for classrooms, family conversations, and school sharing.

Recognition

3rd place internationally

Project: Save Our Lagoon placed 3rd at the Future Problem Solving International Conference in Community Problem Solving.

Mission

Why we started this.

Students presenting lagoon conservation material to a classroom — West Shore students presenting during Project: Save Our Lagoon classroom outreach.

The Lagoon Legacy Project grew out of Project: Save Our Lagoon, a student-led Future Problem Solving project started by West Shore students after seeing how little many local residents knew about the Indian River Lagoon's decline. After presenting in classrooms and watching younger students connect with the issue, we wanted the work to continue beyond one competition season.

Our early classroom work was supported through Labs 4 Learning and developed through Future Problem Solving's Community Problem Solving program. The first chapter is in Brevard County, where Project: Save Our Lagoon and Project: BLACKOUT keep that work local and practical.

From the field

Photos from our projects.

Classroom presentations, nitrogen testing, posters, ordinance outreach, and team planning.

Project: Save Our Lagoon presentation in an elementary classroom — Classroom presentation, Project: Save Our Lagoon.

Brevard students speaking with younger students during a lagoon awareness activity — Student outreach in Brevard County.

Storm drain illustration from Project: BLACKOUT — Project: BLACKOUT storm drain reminder.

Students gathered during a Project: Save Our Lagoon activity — Project team during classroom outreach.

Project materials

Lessons, flyers, and chapter resources.

Lesson plans, flyers, demo instructions, and chapter packets. Email us if you want a copy of something not linked here.

Request materials

Classroom

Started in Brevard. Built to expand.

Brevard is our first active chapter. We are now recruiting student leaders in Indian River, Volusia, Martin, Orange, St. Lucie, and Palm Beach counties to adapt the same model locally.

Apply to become a chapter leader

Active