CSH2O Charitable Foundation Corporation

Protecting the environment is important to all of us, and includes many facets to be successful. At CSH2O, we are focused on the education side. By reaching children at various stages in their education and providing material that is relevant to them, we can help them develop an understanding of the importance of protecting the environment and instill a lifetime of activity and behaviors to improve the environment.

The centerpiece of our program is the Oyster and Environmental Education curriculum we developed in collaboration with another environmental organization, the Oyster Recovery Partnership. This three-year curriculum, targeted for middle school students, includes field trips to local environmental institutions and museums as well as valuable learning opportunities in the classroom. The curriculum connects children to the local natural resources in our back yards--the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding waterways and lands. Oysters act as a natural water filtration system, and the program focuses on oysters as a critical component to the health and cleanliness of Maryland’s waterways.

By participating in these hands-on and interactive programs, students are able to develop an appreciation for our waterways that evolves into a lifetime of environmental stewardship. These unique programs include field trips to local environmental institutions and museums as well as valuable learning opportunities in the classroom.

We partner with local elementary, middle, and high schools to deliver our Oyster and Environmental Education curriculum. In addition, we partner with other organizations to provide environmental education and experiences. These include:

Outreach Offerings – We partner with other like-minded organizations, such as Living Classrooms and Annapolis Maritime Museum, to provide opportunities for elementary school students to receive in-class, hands-on education and field trips on environmental topics.

Environmental Literacy Film Festival – In partnership with the Eco Action Club and Environmental Literacy Program at Broadneck High School, we sponsor an annual contest for area high school students to submit an environmental short film. The films are judged and a prize awarded to the top two films.

Community Activities – We partner with local community groups to provide environmentally focused activities for children such as a beach clean-up activity on Earth Day.

Drownproofing Scholarships – We provide scholarships to area fifth grade students from financially challenged families to get the drownproofing education they need to safely interact with and enjoy the waterways around them. In 2018, 70 scholarships were provided.

College Scholarships – We provide scholarships to graduating high school seniors to continue their environmental education in college. In 2018, two $1,000 scholarships were awarded.

Growing up and living on the water, ClearShark H2O's co-founders, Martin and Nichole Bentz, saw first-hand the many benefits Maryland's waterways offered to the community and its youth. They understood the importance of protecting it, which inspired the founding of ClearShark H2O and its focus on connecting the community to its waterways. The team, which is 90% volunteer, includes individuals with diverse skillsets that include business, environmental education, and fundraising.

In 2014, CSH2O’s first year, the Oyster and Environmental Education curriculum was provided to one local school reaching 240 students. Since that time:

We have expanded the CSH2O team from its original two members to tw4lve. All members, except two Education Coordinators, volunteer their time.

We have expanded the programs offered, and in the current school year, we will reach 25 schools and over 3,700 students.

We have awarded six scholarships to high school seniors to continue their education in an environmental field.

We have provided drownproofing scholarships to 185 fifth graders.

We sponsored the installation of an art gallery, the Blue Heron Gallery, at the Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center, the environmental education hub for local schools. The gallery engages students in using art to express their connections to the environment, and will be seen by over 10,000 visitors per year—with people from all over the state.