Seaside Sustainability
Inspiring a SEA Change
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
At Seaside Sustainability, we're passionate about protecting and restoring our waterways and communities through education and action. By partnering with diverse stakeholders, including educational institutions, environmental groups, and other organizations across the public and private sectors, Seaside Sustainability is committed to building an informed citizenry to address the sustainability of water-based ecosystems and communities around the world.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Green Scholars Program
Green Scholars Curriculum
Seaside’s award-winning Project-Based Learning course curriculum for middle and high schools is built on the foundation of project management, leadership, and sustainability. Students, guided by educators undertake a hands-on project that has real-world outcomes that directly benefit the school, district, and/or community. The course drives towards the ultimate goal of making schools, districts, cities, and towns more sustainable. Seaside’s Executive Director, Eric Magers has trained more than 1250 educators from around the world! Several schools using Green Scholars have won the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Award, the highest honor for an educational facility to achieve, and hundreds of students and educators have garnered coveted awards and scholarships for acceptance to premier universities around the world.
Marine Sciences and Education
Marine Science & Education
Seaside collaborates with local, regional, and national partners and sponsors on multiple projects that are local to our home office on the North Shore of Boston in Gloucester, MA. Thanks to Seaside’s partners and network of local students, educators, scientists, and community members, we are able to support data collection and help discover solutions to climate-driven issues. Through these programs, we continue to elicit involvement from the greater community to inspire lasting change.
Internship Program
Internship Program
Our network of local & international interns brings together students from around the globe who share a passion for advancing environmental education and sustainable communities. Our interns receive valuable real-world experience by taking an active role in developing, leading, and implementing sustainable projects and educational initiatives. Our virtual and in-person format allows for applicants locally to across the US and internationally. Seaside's 200 annual interns bring a diverse set of skills, perspectives, and backgrounds to our work, having represented more than 750 colleges, universities and high schools and are from more than 30 countries since the program's inception. We are proud to share that Seaside’s internship program is accredited in more than 1350 colleges and universities from around the world!
Legislation and Advocacy
Legislation & Advocacy’s goal is to advocate for government bills that support sustainable living and widespread behavioral change. Our department knows the importance of fighting for ocean-friendly, affordable products on the small stage before introducing the legislation to larger communities. We also understand the lack of accessibility associated with eco-friendly products and knowledge and hope to advocate for laws that make sustainability possible for everyone. Without lobbying efforts that support consumer adoption and awareness, we’re stuck under the thumb of single-use plastics and other marine pollutants. We unite a unique group of stakeholders: consumers, businesses, and our local state and national government to address our concerns toward sustainability. Our recent accomplishments include successfully lobbying for local single-use plastic bans and providing reef-safe sunscreen on Gloucester beaches. Currently, L&A is lobbying for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Climate Change Newsletter
Seaside is committed to delivering our high quality educational C Change, a monthly newsletter that provides critical, current information about the climate crisis, specifically the impacts of coal and other fossil fuels. It also shares resources to help you, your family, and your community take practical steps to be part of the climate solution. Everyone will be affected by climate change; the more we learn now, the better prepared we'll be to respond.
Blue Technology
Blue Technology
In a seamless integration with our local and regional Education and Science division, Seaside evaluates and deploys several technologies used in connection to marine debris mitigation. Seaside is an exclusive distributor of Searial Cleaners in the northeast of the US. Consisting of several innovative ocean cleaning products, including the Collec’thor, a fixed-waste collector, and the BeBot, a beach scraping robot, these devices make up the future of marine debris removal. We currently work with clients including marinas, cities, and towns and educational organizations. Other future projects include low-cost marine cleaning initiatives to help smaller organizations keep their waterways clean without a heavy financial burden.
Sustainability Consulting
Sustainability Consulting
Seaside Sustainability Consulting strives to be a premier leader in creating environmentally sustainable schools and small businesses by providing education, leadership and resources to make effective change towards going green. Seaside Sustainability Consulting Program is a comprehensive program that works on a local, regional, and national level to guide any organization in their journey to sustainability! Our consulting team works closely with school administrators, students, community partners, and staff to provide guidance on how to implement sustainable practices through different comprehensive services. We provide a comprehensive guided plan to complete a full sustainability inventory on the entire facility then work with the organization to provide a deep dive sustainability report.
Advisor Program
Advisor Program
Seaside Sustainability's Advisor Program hires enthusiastic volunteers from around the globe to act as “mentors” to an evolving cadre of high school and college interns. Specific roles and responsibilities of Advisory Team members vary by department and program area. We ask that our Advisors stay for a minimum of one year; most Advisors engage in the opportunity for 6-10 hours however there is no maximum. Seaside maintains about 40 Advisors consistently collectively adding more than 12,000 hours of volunteer work to Seaside every year.
Chebacco Lake and Alewife Brook Cleanup
Chebacco Lake and Alewife Brook Cleanup
Seaside Sustainability is leading a multiple-party effort to address the health of Chebacco Lake and Alewife Brook located on the North Shore of Massachusetts. These bodies of water are experiencing ecological issues such as sedimentation, siltation, nutrient overload, and decreased water flow. If these issues are not promptly resolved, there will be severe negative implications for herring populations, which rely on the brook and lake for spawning. The growing group of Chebacco stakeholders Seaside Sustainability is convening currently includes: the Chebacco Lake Watershed Association, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Ipswich River Watershed Association, Manchester Essex Conservation Trust, Save Chebacco Trails, representatives from the conservation committees, and town governments of Essex and Hamilton, Gordon College, Parker-Ipswich-Essex Rivers Restoration Partnership, and representatives from Massachusetts state government.
Climate Action
The goal of Seaside Sustainability’s Climate Action is to promote education, research, and action surrounding climate impact reduction, adaptation, and mitigation. We work to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, advocate for renewable energy technologies, support communities in transitioning to more sustainable lifestyle practices, and educate our readers on important climate and energy related issues. Our Climate Action Program addresses the human impact on climate change, and strives to preserve the natural systems critical to life on earth. The sub-teams included in the larger Climate action group are Renewable energy, the Climate Action Newsletter, Community Action, and Nature Based Solutions. Some of our recent projects include our Interactive State Snapshot Map giving information about renewable energy in each state. Additionally, we are conducting research regarding the impact of plastics in the ocean on specific communities, residential decarbonization, and so much more!
Where we work
Awards
Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education 2022
Office of Environmental Affairs
Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education 2021
Office of Environmental Affairs
Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education 2020
Office of Environmental Affairs
Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education 2019
Office of Environmental Affairs
Leadership in Environmental Education 2018
MA State Senate
Leadership in Environmental Education 2017
MA State Senate
Sustainability Leadership 5+ Years Award 2017
GreenSchools
Green Program Director Award 2016
GreenSchools
Trailblazing Teacher of the Year 2015
US Green Building Council Center for Green Schools
Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators 2015
Environmental Protection Agency
Green Ribbon Schools Award 2015
US Department of Education
Science Teacher of the Year 2014
Alliance for Climate Education
Formal Educator of the Year 2014
New England Environmental Education Alliance
Affiliations & memberships
1% for the Planet 2023
Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow 2020
Berkshire Blanket Company 2021
Beyond Plastics 2022
Black Earth Compost 2016
Cape Ann Community Foundation 2018
Cape Ann Maritime Partnership 2016
Cell Signaling Technology 2017
Clean Ocean Access 2020
Columbia University 2023
Dartmouth 2020
Environmental League of Massachusetts 2021
Essex County Community Foundation 2020
Essex Soap 2020
GMGI 2018
MA PFAS Planning Coalition 2021
Maritime Gloucester 2017
NE4OSW New England for Offshore Wind Coalition 2022
NOAA 2016
Planet Aid 2016
Raw Elements 2022
Ripplfect 2020
Save Chebacco Trails & Watershed 2019
Seabin 2019
Sea of Change Foundation 2021
Searial Cleaners 2021
Seaside Graphics 2017
Surfrider Foundation 2018
Sustainable Coastlines 2022
The COMBined Family Foundation 2021
National STEM Honor Society 2020
Keep MA Beautiful 2022
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of list subscribers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of Facebook followers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of new website visitors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of press articles published
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Legislation and Advocacy
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of interns employed in the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Internship Program
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of advocacy contacts with government leaders
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Legislation and Advocacy
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Hours of volunteer service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of donors retained
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of new donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Number of petition signatures
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Legislation and Advocacy
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Average online donation
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of grants received
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Seaside Sustainability's mission is to preserve and protect the world's oceans, seas, wetlands, and communities by motivating citizens to evaluate the critical issues facing our environment, educating the public on best practices for sustainability, and providing guidance for taking effective action. Among our most important areas of focus are the elimination of consumer plastics and the creation of educational programs for people of all ages.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Green Scholars Curriculum
Seaside’s award-winning Project-Based Learning course curriculum for middle and high schools is built on the foundation of project management, leadership, and sustainability. Students, guided by educators undertake a hands-on project that has real-world outcomes that directly benefit the school, district, and/or community.
Sustainability Consulting
Seaside Sustainability Consulting strives to be a premier leader in creating environmentally sustainable schools and small businesses by providing education, leadership and resources to make effective change towards going green.
Marine Science & Education
Seaside collaborates with local, regional, and national partners and sponsors on multiple projects that are local to our home office on the North Shore of Boston in Gloucester, MA. Thanks to Seaside’s partners and network of local students, educators, scientists, and community members, we are able to support data collection and help discover solutions to climate-driven issues.
Blue Technology
In a seamless integration with our local and regional Education and Science division, Seaside evaluates and deploys several technologies used in connection to marine debris mitigation. Seaside is an exclusive distributor of Searial Cleaners in the northeast of the US. Consisting of several innovative ocean cleaning products,.
Internship Program
Our network of local & international interns brings together students from around the globe who share a passion for advancing environmental education and sustainable communities. Our interns receive valuable real-world experience by taking an active role in developing, leading, and implementing sustainable projects and educational initiatives.
Advisor Program
Seaside Sustainability's Advisor Program hires enthusiastic volunteers from around the globe to act as “mentors” to an evolving cadre of high school and college interns. Specific roles and responsibilities of Advisory Team members vary by department and program area.
Chebacco Lake and Alewife Brook Cleanup
Seaside Sustainability is leading a multiple-party effort to address the health of Chebacco Lake and Alewife Brook located on the North Shore of Massachusetts. These bodies of water are experiencing ecological issues such as sedimentation, siltation, nutrient overload, and decreased water flow.
https://www.seasidesustainability.org/programs
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our organization has a powerful support system that makes it possible for us to accomplish our goals. This support system includes a wide network of partnerships and an extremely dedicated staff. Our staff includes an eager, engaged, and diverse pool of over 300 interns annually and 35 advisors that work both remotely and locally. Other workers include over a dozen dedicated professionals who work as contractors for us. With the help of these members and our funding models that match each of our programs, Seaside is able to succeed.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Using our strengths, we have made great strides locally with our projects and initiatives. We find our strengths in our dedicated partnerships and staff. What's next for Seaside is rolling out dedicated national honors societies and a project-based learning sustainability curriculum.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Seaside Sustainability
Board of directorsas of 02/15/2024
Lawrence Pihl
Seaside Sustainability
Jesse DeBenedictus
Ron Magers
Lawrence Pihl
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/15/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.