The Chula Vista Elementary School District’s (CVESD) Board of Education adopted a resolution at its April 17 meeting calling for action to address the pressing pollution and environmental crisis along the Tijuana River. This issue deeply affects residents of south San Diego, who are grappling with severe health, economic, and environmental repercussions due to the ongoing pollution.

The International Boundary and Water Commission disclosed that more than 37 billion gallons of raw sewage, industrial effluents, and urban runoff have flowed into the Tijuana Estuary and the Pacific Ocean through the Tijuana River and its tributaries in 2023. Seasonal ocean currents, the Tijuana River Watershed, and climate-induced weather phenomena worsen this issue.

To address this issue, CVESD is organizing an Earth Day Writing Contest for third through sixth grade students, encouraging students to take action by writing to our elected officials about the pollution problem and its impact on our community. Students who would like to participate in the contest will need to:

1. Watch “The Big Dump,” a documentary that illuminates the urgent Pacific Ocean crisis originating from the Mexican border into San Diegan waters.
2. Read at least one current event article.
3. Write a persuasive letter to the Governor of California calling for a solution to this crisis.

For more information on the writing contest, please speak with your child's teacher.