Youth Leaders Reflect on the 2018 Puget Sound Youth Ocean Conservation Summit

​The Puget Sound Youth Ocean Conservation Summit is a place where people from all around Washington can come together and share their passion for the ocean. 2018 was no different. We started the morning with inspirational speeches by Jim Wharton and several youth speakers. At this point, everyone felt motivated to go about the day learning how they could make an impact on the world's oceans. As we went about the sessions you could see everyone's passion to learn about how they could make a difference increase. By the end of the day, everyone was excited to start working on their project.

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As a student, it can be difficult to find people who share your interests, YOCS does just that. It allows students to explore these complicated topics with their peers while learning from experts. Students from 6th-12th grade got to spend the day sharing ideas and keeping the conversation about ocean conservation going. Not only was the event inspiring for those that attended but also those who helped plan the event. Our goal throughout the planning process was to encourage as many students as possible to further their passion and interest in the oceans. We did just that many students told members of the planning committee that the event helped them to feel confident in going forward with their projects. In a society where many adults think youth are not capable of making a change, YOCS gives youth tools and resources in order to prove those adults wrong. The youth of today are our future and we need to encourage them to pursue their interests and encourage them to follow their dreams. 
                                                        - Naia Kennedy, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Teen Volunteer   
                                                          YOCS Puget Sound Planning Team

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A few weeks ago, I, along with a handful of teens from the Seattle Aquarium and Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, planned and facilitated this year’s Youth Ocean Conservation Summit. At the summit, teens learn about conservation and community outreach from the experts--scientists, organizers, and other motivated youth--and design their own conservation projects to take into the world. Planning the event itself was a lesson in outreach. Our planning team contacted experts and environmental organizations throughout the Sound. (We even contacted Ellen DeGeneres, but, as expected, we did not get a response.) In the end, we were able to recruit a wide range of speakers whose talks ranged from plankton to contacting government officials to animal memes.

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Aside from the speakers, we wouldn’t have been able to pull this event off without this year’s engaged audience. I and other planning team members had conversations with youth ranging from age 13 to age 18, all of whom were passionate about their projects. Four participants wanted to start a YouTube channel together. Another girl wanted to host a dance fundraiser. One boy wanted to completely eliminate plastic utensils from his school cafeteria. As the talks progressed, the questions from participants got more and more specific and targeted--one teen even asked about US fisheries legislation. Overall, it’s fair to say that the day was a success. Our audience entered with high hopes, and left equipped with knowledge and vision (and, of course, reusable utensils). The Puget Sound #YOCS lives on. 
                                                                     - Isha Sangani​, Seattle Aquarium Teen Volunteer
​                                                                       YOCS Puget Sound Planning Team  

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