LONG BRANCH – Clean Ocean Action’s Student Environmental Advocates and Leaders (SEAL) Program is a free leadership program for high school students who want to make an impact, build leadership skills, and grow their network. The program focuses on current, local environmental issues and gives students the opportunity and tools to make change in their communities.
The SEAL program is perfect for students who want to make a difference in their communities, gain valuable leadership experience and earn volunteer and service hours.
SEAL students collaborate with peers across Monmouth County through bi-monthly group training sessions to learn the basics of grassroots community activism and advocacy, and how to apply them in their own schools’ communities. Training sessions feature experts in the field and cover topics including, but not limited to, civics and the voting system, environmental justice, water quality, environmental careers, the recycling crisis and watershed mindfulness. Students connect lessons to their local communities and learn to make real change through problem-based learning.
In addition, guest speakers, including elected officials, advocates and activists, speak to the students to discuss successful strategies and campaigns to add real-world context to the learning.
Throughout the program, SEAL students will:
• Learn how environmental and community changes happen at the local and state level
• Identify an environmental issue in their own community, research the issue and possible solutions, and develop and carry out a project to address it
• Engage their school community, local groups, and potentially their municipality, environmental commission or committee or town council in their project
• Hear from a variety of guest speakers and experts in their fields
• Attend field trips to places like the New Jersey State Capitol, recycling facilities, and landfills
• Build leadership, communication, research, outreach, and project-planning skills
• Earn service hours while gaining hands-on leadership experience
• Connect and collaborate with high school students from different towns and schools
• Plan and conduct outreach and share their project and solutions with younger students and others in their com- munity
The program runs from October to May, with twice-a-month meetings at Clean Ocean Action’s Long Branch office. High school participants can continue the program for multiple years and, after graduating from the program, join an exclusive group of SEAL alumni, staying connected and sharing opportunities for professional development.
To add a healthy bit of competition, Clean Ocean Action uses a point-based system to award students for their activities, leadership, collaboration, cohesiveness, stewardship and campaigns.
The program is open to high school students from Monmouth County and surrounding school districts, with priority given to sophomores and juniors.
If many applications come from the same school, the number accepted may be limited to allow space for students from other communities, as the program is limited to 35 students total.
Participation is free, though students are responsible for
their own transportation. Travel stipends may be available based on need. To apply for the 2026-27 SEAL Program, students must first fill out a Student Interest Form by Oct. 10, available at cleanoceanaction.org/education-programs/seal. Those accepted into the program will be notified by Oct. 16.
Visit the website to view the SEAL Program description and learn more about how to apply. For questions or inquiries, please contact Kristen Grazioso, the program manager, at 732-872-0111 or education@cleanoceanaction.org.
This article originally appeared in the September 17-23, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
