Surfrider Foundation Environmental Education

Overview

Surfrider Foundation Canada is a national environmental nonprofit dedicated to protecting oceans, coastlines, and waterways through conservation, advocacy, education, and community action. Through science-based initiatives and public engagement, the organization empowers people to protect the environments they depend on.

The Challenge

With support from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Surfrider Foundation Canada set out to develop an innovative classroom program that would help students understand the often-overlooked environmental impacts of smoking and vaping.

The curriculum was developed by an experienced educator to ensure it aligned with classroom learning objectives and was practical for teachers to deliver. Surfrider partnered with Yulu to bring that curriculum to life through strategic storytelling, creative design, and engaging visual communications that would resonate with students in Grades 7 – 12.

Rather than creating standalone educational materials, the goal was to build an integrated learning experience that connected curriculum, creative communications, and environmental action.

Yulu worked alongside Surfrider Foundation Canada and the curriculum developer to translate evidence-based educational content into an engaging communications campaign for youth audiences.

The Strategy

Yulu worked alongside Surfrider Foundation Canada and the curriculum developer to translate evidence-based educational content into an engaging communications campaign for youth audiences.

The engagement included:

• Strategic communications planning
• Creative campaign development
• Narrative and scriptwriting for a hero educational video
• Storyboarding and creative direction
• Design of curriculum handouts and classroom resources
• Visual identity and supporting campaign assets

At the heart of the campaign was the creative concept Clouded Judgement. The concept reflects both the physical pollution caused by cigarette butts and vaping waste, and the unseen ways smoking and vaping can cloud our understanding of their broader environmental impacts. By pairing this metaphor with accessible storytelling, the campaign encouraged students to see familiar behaviours through a new environmental lens while inspiring informed action rather than guilt.

Throughout the process, the focus remained on making complex environmental issues accessible, engaging, and empowering for students while preserving the educational integrity of the curriculum developed by the subject-matter educator.

Impact and Results

The project equipped Surfrider Foundation Canada with a suite of creative assets designed to engage youth, support educators, and strengthen environmental learning in classrooms.

Outcomes included:

• Developed Clouded Judgement, a creative campaign platform that unified the hero video, curriculum materials, and supporting educational resources under a single, memorable concept.
• Produced a hero educational video that transformed evidence-based curriculum into engaging visual storytelling for students in Grades 7 – 12.
• Designed classroom handouts and supporting materials that complemented the educator-developed curriculum while making complex environmental issues more accessible and engaging.
• Created a cohesive visual identity that supports consistent communications across classroom resources, presentations, and future campaign materials.
• Delivered a strategic creative framework that enables Surfrider Foundation Canada to continue engaging young people in conversations about environmental stewardship and behaviour change.

Why it Matters

Environmental education is most effective when it helps people understand how individual actions connect to larger environmental systems.

By helping Surfrider Foundation Canada translate scientific research into engaging, youth-focused storytelling, Yulu developed a creative communications framework that supports environmental literacy while inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards.

Services Provided

• Strategic Communications
• Environmental Education Campaign Development
• Creative Strategy
• Campaign Narrative Development
• Curriculum Branding
• Animation Storyboarding
• Visual Communications
• Environmental Communications

FAQ

What is an environmental education communications campaign?
It turns environmental evidence into clear, engaging stories and resources that help audiences understand an issue and take informed action.

How can communications support environmental behavior change?
Behavior change communications helps move audiences from awareness toward action through relevant messaging, storytelling, engagement, and clear calls to participate.

How did Yulu support Surfrider Foundation Canada?
Yulu turned educator-developed curriculum into an integrated campaign for students in Grades 7 – 12, including strategy, video, branding, classroom resources, and creative assets.

What is the Clouded Judgement campaign?
Clouded Judgement is the creative platform Yulu developed to connect cigarette and vaping waste with their less visible environmental impacts.

How can environmental campaigns engage young people without fear or guilt?
Focus on evidence, relevance, agency, and practical actions rather than fear as the primary motivator.

Does Yulu work with environmental nonprofits in Canada?
Yes. Yulu works with environmental nonprofits and conservation organizations across Canada and North America.

Does Yulu develop behavior change campaigns?
Yes. Yulu develops behavior change campaigns that combine behavioral insights, strategic communications, creative development, engagement, and measurement.

How should environmental education campaign impact be measured?
Useful measures can include participation, resource use, knowledge or attitude shifts, engagement, intent, and behavior signals.