Going Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands

Written by service learning expert Cathryn Berger Kaye and celebrity ocean spokesperson Philippe Cousteau, Going Blue educates young people about the earth’s water crisis and gives them tools and inspiration to transform their ideas into action. With lively photos and practical suggestions, the book helps teens plan and do a meaningful service project that benefits our planet’s water system. Along the way, readers learn about issues such as clean water access, coral reef damage, runoff pollution, trash islands, factory fishing, bottled water, and much more. This combination of academic learning and community service is at the heart of the fast-growing teaching strategy known as service learning.

Going Blue is divided into the five stages of service learning: investigation, preparation, action, reflection, and demonstration. Special sections include a history of ocean exploration with a profile of Jacques Cousteau; an interview with Philippe Cousteau; stories of young people around the world addressing water issues; book and Web resources; and an afterword for adults.  

Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., is an international service learning and education consultant and a former classroom teacher.

She presents at conferences around the world and works with state departments of education, university faculty and students, school districts, and classroom teachers on a variety of education issues such as service learning, civic responsibility, student leadership, and respectful school communities.

Cathryn lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Barry, and frequently visits her daughters, Ariel and Devora.

Philippe Cousteau has established himself as a prominent leader in the environmental movement.

An award-winning television host, producer, author, speaker, philanthropist, and social entrepreneur, Philippe is the son of Philippe Cousteau Sr. and grandson of Jacques Cousteau. His life’s mission is to empower people to recognize their ability to change the world. Philippe is a special correspondent for CNN International where he has hosted several award-winning shows including Going Green and Expedition Sumatra. He is also the host of the syndicated series Amazing Planet.

As an author, Philippe has cowritten many books including Going Blue and Make a Splash!, both of which have won multiple awards including Learning Magazine’s 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family, a Gold Nautilus Award, and a 2010 Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Gold Award.

His philanthropic efforts are focused on solving global social and environmental problems. In 2004, Philippe founded EarthEcho International, a leading environmental education organization that is creating a whole new generation of environmental citizens; Philippe is also founder of The Global Echo Foundation, which provides resources to solve many of the challenges facing the world community, from social issues impacting women and children to environmental conservation, as well as supporting social entrepreneurship.

Philippe serves on the Board of Directors of the Ocean Conservancy, the National Environmental Education Foundation, and the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund. Philippe has also testified to Congress on issues of ocean management and off-shore drilling. Philippe’s travels have taken him diving, rock climbing, trekking, and snowboarding around the world. From expeditions in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to war-torn Sarajevo, where he provided humanitarian aid, he has learned that exploring the connections between humans and the environment are as important as exploring nature itself.

He holds a master’s degree in history from the University of St. Andrews.

Philippe and his wife, fellow adventurer Ashlan Gorse-Cousteau, reside in Los Angeles California.