Systemic inequity leaves low-income communities of color to face disproportionately high levels of environmental degradation with poorly supported environmental protection and educational resources. Across the Bay Area in California, many students unknowingly live near soils and waters that are severely impacted by drought and pollution. It is often up to grassroots nonprofit organizations or community-based “citizen science” to fill the gaps in awareness and action in communities regularly bypassed and overlooked by institutions.

Through a funding grant from the Integral Charitable Foundation, Integral Consulting staff initiated a partnership with Frontline Catalysts, a nonprofit organization offering a Climate Justice Leadership Development Program at no cost to Title 1 schools in underserved communities, to complement and enrich the organization’s work. Integral staff developed an introductory presentation focusing on the impacts of climate change on the quantity and quality of water and on the kinds of simple tasks that can be undertaken to measure these impacts. Following this introductory presentation and discussion, the group visited nearby Peralta Creek to put these lessons into action. Students collected and recorded a variety of observations and chemical data using a combination of student-directed small-group data collection and full-group measurement and discussion. Their direct physical observations and measurements of parameters such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, and nitrate were connected back to the larger-scale concepts of drought, thermal pollution, acidification, and eutrophication.

With this pro bono project, Integral Consulting staff demonstrated to students and the community the place data collection and analysis hold within the environmental justice movement. They sought to empower students to implement the scientific method as another dimension of understanding and tool in their arsenal as growing citizens and activists participating with Frontline Catalysts. Seeing the students grow their curiosity while sampling and taking the initiative to continue this work with such enthusiasm and eagerness was an exciting validation of our mission.

This Integral Charitable Foundation (ICF) Pro Bono project is aimed at enhancing the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s (SBMM) Marine Science program by providing students with direct access to oceanographic experts and state-of-the-art ocean technologies. Part of the ICFs mission is to expand access to scientific and engineering knowledge and we are so proud of the Integral staff who were able to contribute to this mission in such an innovative and sustainable way.

Integral staff built the BlueROV2 (seen in photo below) to enable observations of marine life in their natural environmental while minimizing impacts of human activity on the seabed. Working in small groups, students learn about ocean technologies and have the opportunity to pilot a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to view animals in their native marine environment.

The ROV’s maiden voyage was during the “Girls in Ocean Science Conference” organized by the SBMM in September of 2023. The students took turns operating the ROV from a vessel anchored off of Santa Cruz Island in the Santa Barbara Channel (ROV video below).

Integral staff members are in the process of training SBMM staff on ROV operation and maintenance as well as helping SBMM create an engaging curriculum for students based on oceanographic technology.