Sarasota Bay Estuary Program- PIER Program

SBEP has taken an active role in environmental education by publishing reports, developing curricula for schools and initiating community activities. In February 2003, SBEP launched PIER, an innovative education program aimed at educating and inspiring area students. The PIER Program is offered to public and private schools and home school students in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Nearly 38,000 students have participated since 2003.

The purpose of the PIER Program:
Educate students about the local coastal ecology.
Promote the benefits of environmental stewardship.
Increase students’ environmental literacy and stewardship behaviors.

The PIER program is an in-school education program and has a variety of facets to it. SBEP offers a FREE curriculum about coastal habitats, invasive species, watersheds, and fire ecology to educators of K – 8th grade called Coastal Habitats. We also pay for field trips for students to go outside and go to one of our restoration sites where they engage in a variety of educational and environmental games.