Oysters in September. Sea turtles in April. In between: weather, watersheds and coastal insects.
The Alabama Coastal Foundation is inviting fifth grade teachers at public and private schools across the state to sign up for the 2026-27 Alabama Coastal Kids Quiz, an online program built around five topic-specific quiz windows — with financial support attached for participating classrooms.
The Schedule
- Oysters: Sept. 23 – Oct. 14, announcements Oct. 15
- Weather: Oct. 28 – Nov. 18, announcements Nov. 19
- Watersheds: Jan. 13 – Feb. 3, 2027, announcements Feb. 4, 2027
- Coastal Insects: Feb. 24 – March 17, 2027, announcements March 18, 2027
- Sea Turtles: April 21 – May 12, 2027, announcements May 13, 2027
Each window runs about three weeks, which gives teachers room to fit a topic into an existing unit rather than rearranging a curriculum around it.
$100 Per Topic
Teachers must register individually to participate.
Those who meet the program’s minimum 80% participation requirement are eligible to receive $100 for each topic. With five topics, a teacher who participates fully across the year could receive up to $500 for classroom use.
If more teachers meet the requirement than available funding allows, recipients are selected through random drawings.
That structure is worth understanding before signing up: meeting the threshold makes a teacher eligible, not guaranteed.
Why Fifth Grade, and Why Online
The program is designed to encourage fifth grade students to take a deeper look at Alabama’s coastal environment while learning in an accessible way, with the foundation providing educational resources alongside the financial incentives.
The online format is what makes statewide participation possible. A classroom in north Alabama is several hours from the coast and unlikely to take a field trip there, but the ecosystem it studies drains toward the same Gulf. Delivering the program online removes distance as a barrier for both public and private school teachers.
Five separate windows also provide flexibility — a teacher who misses the oyster window can still participate in four others.
Funding and Sponsors
The Coastal Kids Quiz received support during the previous school year from the Gulf Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council. The foundation is asking potential sponsors to consider supporting the program again this year.
Because the teacher stipends depend on available funding, sponsorship directly determines how many classrooms receive support.
About the Alabama Coastal Foundation
Founded in 1993, the Alabama Coastal Foundation works to improve and protect Alabama’s coastal environment through cooperation, education and participation.
For more than three decades, the foundation has promoted a culture in which environmental decisions are based on an accurate understanding of the underlying science.
It works with individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies at the local, state and federal levels, and private-sector organizations ranging from small businesses to major industries — an approach it describes as inclusive environmental stewardship.
The foundation also runs programs designed to educate current and future leaders and offers volunteer opportunities for people who want to help protect Alabama’s coastal environment.
ACF says it welcomes questions and feedback as the Coastal Kids Quiz continues to grow.