To acknowledge our time in this virtual space, SeeChangeMakers pulled together various updates on previous interviews of people and organizations from the last 2 years. To acknowledge the importance of EARTH DAY, these interview updates will be spread over the week from the 18th to the 23rd.
Ocean Wise has been a hallmark here on the West Coast of Canada for decades. As SeeChangeMakers 2021 article pointed out, the Vancouver Aquarium was Ocean Wise’s birthplace. Through the pandemic, a variety of changes occurred. Currently, the organization has flowed with the current change by streamlining its rebranding. One of their recent directives is called Waves of Change and it shares a philosophy that “bringing together and empowering youth turns the tide on climate change where many ripples make a wave.”
RECAP
In April 2021, I interviewed Michelle Bienkowski, Facilitator & Program Leader for the Ocean Wise’s Youth to Sea Leadership Program. This was a real eyeopener on how Ocean Wise is creating feasible avenues to engage the public. Taken from last year’s post, I mentioned that “Youth is the central tennet for their key initiatives. This has been one of the reasons for the rapid growth of the Youth to Sea Leadership Program since its inception in 2019.” While many projects have been led by these 15–18-year-olds, no task is too small. Bienkowski said the main criterion for all projects is that they are initiated and led by the youth. Program Leaders are facilitators only. Hearing about the variety of creative projects and ideas establishes how reliable Ocean Wise’s current mandate is.
Impacts of Youth Service
Recently, Lasse Gustavsson, CEO of Ocean Wise, has been getting the word out to high school students directly. He recently addressed the North Vancouver SD44 Climate Action and Sustainability Week from April 11-14, 2022. Gustavsson reminded his audience that there are “1.8 billion children in the world today and they will lead the way” in helping to make our oceans greener and cleaner. The application deadline is fast approaching. The 2022’s intake for the Youth to Sea Leadership Program ends on April 24th.
Placements for Young Adults
Other youth-based directives are the Youth Bridge Programs offered to 18–30-year-olds. The Ocean Bridge Direct Action program offers a 3-month full-time immersive engagement. It offers young students and professionals an opportunity to gather firsthand experience in oceanic and aquatic conservation with marine specialists. This program runs from April-October.
The second program is the Ocean Bridge Classic. The classic program is a similar platform but in an expanded 6-month part-time program. They are currently recruiting from the East Coast region of Canada for a May – October 2022 enrollment.
Each program requires an initial Expression of Interest which can be in any media format that resonates with the applicant. These could be anything from an essay to an art portfolio. The intention is for learners to establish how the program will foster their passion for oceans and freshwaters. Learn more about Ocean Wise’s Youth Programs or other Climate Action initiatives at Ocean.org