Education United States Project #38051

Educate Future Environmental Stewards

by Marine Education Initiative

Summary

This project educates and empowers the future leaders of tomorrow to be more environmentally conscientious. The students are taught a wide range of practices to safeguard marine and freshwater habitats and also about the consequences of not doing so. The mission of Marine Education Initiative is to empower individuals to become responsible anglers through hands-on programs centered on fishing in a more sustainable manner to foster widespread community engagement and change.

$20,000
total goal

$4,990
remaining

62
donors

2
monthly donors

2
fundraisers

4
years

Challenge

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, over 70% of world's fish species are either fully exploited or depleted. Fish represent a major source of protein for over 1 billion people, not to mention the 500,000 employees in the industry. One of the most urgent problems within the United States as well as abroad is the weak condition of environmental education (EE) at all academic levels. We have an amazing ocean all around us, but we often exploit and neglect this precious resource.

Solution

Marine Education Initiative provides programming consisting of hands-on classes with 20-30 children at a time from several locations in the United States and the Caribbean. The curriculum is STEAM based and contains topics such as: overfishing, ocean pollution, climate change, and responsible angling techniques. By educating the youth we can create ethical anglers who follow the fishing rules and regulations, and seek to minimize damage to their local marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Long-Term Impact

These immersive programs will create thousands of environmental stewards, provide amazing volunteer opportunities for the community, and positively impact local marine and freshwater ecosystems. The students in the classes become strong advocates for environmental protection and continue to educate their family and peers long after the classes end. Thus, creating a movement for change in their community focused on marine conservation and responsible fishing practices.