MERITO Foundation

🏆 Congratulations to Cassimira and Jazelle from Fremont Academy Middle School for winning 1st place in the Water Conservation Tier of our 11th Annual EECCOA Challenge! Guided by their teacher, Mrs.Shannon Todd, Cassimira and Jazelle were awarded $750 prize for their project, “Water you doing wasting Water?”.

💦 The "Confident Cousins", Cassimira and Jazelle, hope to reduce water usage on their school campus by 50% by installing pedal flush toilets. These new toilets would be installed at Fremont Academy's new school campus, and use almost half as less water than regular toilets. While the upfront costs for these new toilets may be a fright, the group determined that the reduced water usage would make up the toilet costs in just under 3 years. The group planned to share this proposal with their principal and eventually the school board, in hopes of not just saving costs at school but saving water in their community.

🏅 The 11th Annual EECCOA Challenge Awards took place on May 18, 2026, at Poinsettia Pavilion and is the culmination of our V-RAN and SPW! programs. The 2026 EECCOA Challenge, the climate, energy, & sustainability education, school campuses’ energy, water, waste, and heat audits, and students’ workforce development by the MERITO Foundation team, preceding the Awards event are possible primarily thanks to the sponsorship from Clean Power Alliance and Calpine Solutions, with additional support from The Port of Hueneme and California Natural Resources Agency.

Last Saturday, Mar Vista Elementary families and friends came together for an incredible wetland cleanup at Ormond Beach in Oxnard! 🌿

With a great turnout from the South Oxnard community, volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help restore this important habitat by removing invasive plants 🌱, planting native vegetation and seeds 🌼, picking up loads of trash 🗑️, and leaving the wetlands cleaner than when we first arrived! Guests also enjoyed some birdwatching! 🐦

A special thank you to 5th-grade teacher Mrs. Alcaraz for coordinating with her school and helping make this event possible through our Youth Education & Engagement at Ormond Beach (YE&EO) program 🙌 We are also grateful to our partners at the City of Oxnard, City Corps, and Coastal Keepers for their support and collaboration in creating meaningful opportunities for families 🩵

The ‘Youth Education & Engagement at Ormond Beach,’ project is an initiative of the City of Oxnard, funded through a California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) grant.

🏆 Congratulations to Everest, Celeste, Saily, and Kayla from Santa Clara High School for winning 1st place in the Waste Reduction tier of our 11th Annual EECCOA Challenge! Guided by their teacher, Mr. Kevin Mancilla, Everest, Celeste, Saily, and Kayla were awarded a $850 prize for their project, “Containers for Change”.

♻️ Their project aims to reduce the plastic and metal waste created by their school by 24% by next year. While performing a waste audit, they noted a lack of recycling bins on campus, only finding 2 bins across the entire school. The group hopes to increase recycling awareness by involving the school's Clean & Green club to sort waste, installing more recycling bins, and educating their classmates through spirit days & posters around campus. The Clean & Green club will also track the recyclables collected to assess the impact of their campaigning, and the funds created by turning in the waste will feed back into the Eco Saints' initiative.

🏅 The 11th Annual EECCOA Challenge Awards took place on May 18, 2026, at Poinsettia Pavilion and is the culmination of our V-RAN and SPW! programs. The 2026 EECCOA Challenge, the climate, energy, & sustainability education, school campuses’ energy, water, waste, and heat audits, and students’ workforce development by the MERITO Foundation team, preceding the Awards event are possible primarily thanks to the sponsorship from Clean Power Alliance and Calpine Solutions, with additional support from The Port of Hueneme and California Natural Resources Agency.

At El Camino Jr. High in Santa Maria, nearly every student faces significant barriers to accessing hands-on science education. Yet despite these challenges, their amazing science teacher, Marie Chavis, created an Ocean Club at her school two years ago 🌊

Thanks to the support of Mr. Rojas, a kind donor of the MERITO Foundation, we were able to provide Ms. Chavis with teacher professional development training and take her Ocean Club students on unforgettable coastal science adventures! In February, students traveled to Shell Beach in Northern Santa Barbara County to monitor the rocky intertidal zone and collect real scientific data for NOAA’s LiMPETS monitoring program 🐚

And this week, these same students were off Pismo Pier collecting and identifying plankton species and monitoring sandy beaches! 🌊

For many students, these experiences were completely new, from visiting the beach to becoming community scientists for the day. Their excitement and curiosity for learning said it all 🙌

EECCOA Challenge 1st Place: Environmental Outreach Tier 🏆☀️
Congratulations to Victoria, Jacqueline, and Yeraldine from Santa Paula High School for winning 1st place in the Environmental Outreach Tier of our 11th Annual EECCOA Challenge! Guided by their teacher, Mrs. Barbara Weiser, Victoria, Jacqueline, and Yeraldine were awarded a $850 prize for their project, “Under the Sails.”

The group planned on reducing the impact of extreme heat on their campus by installing a shade canopy over the blacktop area outside their band room. They conducted a heat audit around different areas of campus using a Kestrel temperature testing device and conducted a heat impact survey of 57 students. Their survey assessed students on their personal experience with heat at different locations at school and informed their decision to choose the band area for shade coverage. Over 90% of their surveyed students believed it was important to reduce the impacts of extreme heat on campus. In addition to a 30X20 ft shade canopy near the band area, they are proposing to school administrators the reopening of an area with grass and trees to allow student access to more shaded locations on campus.

The 11th Annual EECCOA Challenge Awards took place on May 18, 2026, at Poinsettia Pavilion and is the culmination of our V-RAN and SPW! programs. The 2026 EECCOA Challenge, the climate, energy, & sustainability education, school campuses’ energy, water, waste, and heat audits, and students’ workforce development by the MERITO Foundation team, preceding the Awards event are possible primarily thanks to the sponsorship from Clean Power Alliance and Calpine Solutions, with additional support from The Port of Hueneme and California Natural Resources Agency.

EECCOA Challenge 1st Place: Energy Efficiency Tier 🏆🔌
Congratulations to Elisa and Nicole from Santa Paula High School for winning 1st place in the Energy Efficiency Tier of our 11th Annual EECCOA Challenge! Guided by their teacher, Mr. Ansh Seth, Elisa and Nicole were awarded a $1000 prize for their project, “Energy Influencers.”

The "Energy Influencers" proposed to reduce energy consumption by replacing three outdated and inefficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units with more energy efficient systems. The group made several in-person observations in older classrooms of inefficient cooling methods, including outdated temperature sensors, uneven cooling, and abrupt turning on and off of current air conditioning units. They assessed their schools' energy bills and noted that months of high energy usage were during the hotter months at the end of summer. They estimate a savings of $5K in energy savings after the replacement and installation of newer HVAC systems by Fall 2026. They will evaluate their projects by monitoring the monthly energy costs, HVAC repair costs, and collecting feedback from students and teachers about air conditioning efficiency in classrooms.

The 11th Annual EECCOA Challenge Awards took place on May 18, 2026, at Poinsettia Pavilion and is the culmination of our V-RAN and SPW! programs. The 2026 EECCOA Challenge, the climate, energy, & sustainability education, school campuses’ energy, water, waste, and heat audits, and students’ workforce development by the MERITO Foundation team, preceding the Awards event are possible primarily thanks to the sponsorship from Clean Power Alliance and Calpine Solutions, with additional support from The Port of Hueneme and California Natural Resources Agency.

A massive marine heat wave stretching from California to Baja Mexico is now one of the most intense ocean heat events on Earth.

Scientists say it could reshape marine ecosystems, intensify extreme weather, and linger for months.

In some regions, ocean temperatures are running more than 7°F (4°C) above average — an extraordinary anomaly for seawater.

Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography say they have been watching ocean temperature records fall repeatedly in recent weeks. At Scripps Pier in La Jolla, California, sea surface temperatures set record highs on 36 separate days between January and April alone.

What makes this event especially alarming is how deep the heat extends.

Using robotic underwater vehicles, scientists discovered unusually warm water far below the ocean’s surface — conditions more commonly associated with a major El Niño event.

But there is no full El Niño yet.

That means the Pacific could become even hotter in the coming months.

Researchers say the marine heat wave is already disrupting the ocean food chain.

Cold-water fish are moving deeper and farther north in search of cooler water, while warm-water species such as bluefin tuna and hammerhead sharks are appearing in places where they are rarely seen.

Seabirds are suffering too.

Marine researchers across California report growing numbers of starving pelicans, cormorants, and murres washing ashore emaciated because their food sources are disappearing or moving out of reach.

And the impacts may not stay offshore.

Scientists warn the unusually warm waters could intensify heat waves across the western United States, increase humidity in California, amplify rainfall events, and even make it easier for tropical systems to push farther north toward the state.

Normally, California’s cold coastal waters weaken hurricanes and tropical storms before they arrive.

This year, that natural barrier may be weaker.

Researchers say climate change is playing a major role.

Marine heat waves have become more frequent and more intense as greenhouse gas emissions continue warming the planet.

And because oceans absorb enormous amounts of Earth’s excess heat, scientists say every major marine heat wave is now starting from a warmer baseline than the last.

This month, the MERITO Foundation had the privilege of serving all 5th-grade students at Elmhurst Elmenatry through THREE unforgettable experiential learning field experiences! Students explored the outdoors alongside their amazing teachers, Ms. Heredia and Mr. Oas, through recreational and environmental education experiences designed to connect them with nature 🌿

With our partners at Hokuloa Outrigger Canoe Club, students experienced outrigger canoeing and boogie boarding for the very first time! 🛶🏄‍♂️ Their excitement and enthusiasm said it all! Students also visited the watershed, including the Matilija Dam and Foster Park, where they became community scientists for the day 🔬💧

At MERITO Foundation, we believe that combining recreational adventure with hands-on environmental education is a powerful way to inspire youth to go outside, engage with nature, and understand their crucial role as the next generation of environmental stewards 💙 A huge thank you to Elmhurst Elementary’s PTA for supporting this meaningful learning experience. To more adventures ahead! 🙌

Congratulations to all teams who competed in our 11th Annual EECCOA Challenge & Awards Event held on Monday, May 18th at Poinsettia Pavilion! After advancing through our first round of judging, finalist teams presented their environmental business proposals to an amazing panel of judges in the following categories:
💧 Water Conservation
⚡ Energy Efficiency
♻️ Waste Reduction
💬 Community Education on a local environmental issue
Our awards ceremony began with inspiring words from Keynote Speaker, Chris Espinosa, lifelong advocate and public servant who has dedicated his career to fighting for civil rights, workers, healthcare and environmental justice. We also heard thoughtful words from Dr. César Morales, who has served as Ventura County Superintendent of Schools since 2021, and who spoke on the importance of environmental education and advocacy 🌱

We would like to thank our volunteer judges who dedicated their time and expertise to reviewing our students’ projects and supporting the next generation of environmental leaders! A very special thank you to our 2026 EECCOA Challenge Sponsors who made our event possible: Clean Power Alliance, the Port of Hueneme, and California Natural Resources Agency 💙

Thank you also to our in-kind sponsors who donated gifts and supported our silent auction 🙌 Last but not least, we would also like to extend our thank yous to our youth volunteers and our dedicated board members for their help in making sure the event went smoothly!

We are grateful to the eight science teachers and to their Schools Administrators for supporting their involvement in the EECCOA Challenge. The participating schools included El Camino Jr.High (Santa Maria Bonita School District), Foothill Technology High School and Buena High School (Ventura Unified School District), Santa Clara High School, Fremont Academy Middle School (Oxnard School District), and Santa Paula High School (Santa Paula Unified School District).