By: Alyssa Leadingham May 5, 2026 Lisa de Kozan/Mark West Elementary School For National Teacher Appreciation Day, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries would like to honor all of the dedicated educators who lead ocean stewardship efforts across the country. The NOAA Ocean Guardian School program supports PreK-12 public and private schools nationwide who wish to establish conservation projects on campus or in their community—protecting watersheds and special areas like national marine sanctuaries. As part of this national initiative, teachers serve as campus leaders in enacting year-long stewardship projects in one of the program's five pathways: school gardens/habitats, marine debris, watershed restoration, energy and ocean health, and “the six Rs” (Rethink/Reduce/Refuse/Reuse/Recycle/Rot).…