Fifth Grader Turns Orca Encounters Into Ocean Learning for Kids

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - A Santa Barbara fifth grader is helping turn real-life encounters with wild orcas into a new way for children to learn about the ocean.

Ten-year-old Malia Westheimer helped create a six-episode children’s podcast alongside her father. She also voices Kiko, a young orca at the center of the series.

The project grew from the family’s experiences seeing orcas in the wild and a shared interest in marine life.

The podcast introduces young listeners to the animals and their ocean environment through storytelling designed for children and families.

For Malia, the project also became a chance to take something she was curious about and help turn it into something other children can enjoy and learn from.

The six-episode series launched September 1 and offers families another way to explore marine life beyond the classroom.SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - A Santa Barbara fifth grader is helping turn real-life encounters with wild orcas into a new way for children to learn about the ocean.

Ten-year-old Malia Westheimer helped create a six-episode children’s podcast alongside her father. She also voices Kiko, a young orca at the center of the series.

The project grew from the family’s experiences seeing orcas in the wild and a shared interest in marine life.

The podcast introduces young listeners to the animals and their ocean environment through storytelling designed for children and families.

For Malia, the project also became a chance to take something she was curious about and help turn it into something other children can enjoy and learn from.

The six-episode series launched September 1 and offers families another way to explore marine life beyond the classroom.

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