In 1991, Michael Klubock, a sailor turned environmental educator, channeled his love for the beach into the creation of a school assembly education effort. He wanted to get more kids to the beach and in touch with nature. While developing and presenting the program to the schools, he established the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education and Kids Ocean Day.

John Quigley and Spectral Q created the Aerial Art Program so that students could send unified ocean protection messages. The program began in 1994 as part of the first Kids Ocean Day. Serving as the Statewide Aerial Art Director for the California Coastal Commission, John has overseen the massive displays of human art in eight California cities. His worldwide work of nearly 300 images, involving hundreds of thousands of people, includes more than 150,000 students for Kids Ocean Day (including programs in Hong Kong and Mexico).

Since then, the California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail License Plate Fund, the City of Los Angeles, Spectral Q’s Aerial Art Program and regional partners, have contributed to Kids Ocean Day’s expansion along the length of the California coast, from Humboldt County to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, as well as across the Pacific Ocean to Hong Kong and down to Mexico.