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Congratulations and kudos to our 2023-2024 Youth Ocean Conservation Summit mini-grant recipients! We are so proud of our recipients each year and are continually amazed by their tenacity and passion for ocean conservation. A special thank you to the Johnson Ohana Foundation, Popsockets, and supporters of our YOCS annual auction fundraiser for their contributions to make this grant program possible.  Steve Misati - Mangrove Restoration Ocean Conservation Project "The Youth Pawa organization's Mangrove Eco-restoration Project empowers coastal communities in Kenya to revive mangrove ecosystems. Through education, training, and alternative ways of livelihoods, we plant mangrove trees, rebuild mangrove ecosystems, and safeguard both nature and our livelihoods. Our project aims to restore over 50 hectares of degraded vital mangroves ecosystems in Mombasa, Kenya by 2030, with our yearly goal for planting 10000 mangroves while conserving the existing ecosystems.” Gabrielle Bohager - Marine Science Lab Mangrove Tank “Our Marine Science class is developing a lab which has been in the works for the last 6 years. We are trying to create tanks which will represent different habitats in our marine ecosystem in the hope that we can discover how to preserve and protect our local marine life and restore their necessary habitats.” Anik Sahai - Force of Nature I'm creating an app, "Force of Nature", targeted at teens as a way to spread educational awareness on plastic pollution prevention as well as community cleanups through fun interactive challenges that give rewards. The app features interactive challenges like bringing your own bag or picking up trash. Users challenge friends, promoting eco-awareness. Completed challenges, proven with photos, earn points redeemable at local businesses. Kush Gulati - Save Our Oceans “I am working on my ongoing project ‘Save Our Oceans’ which investigates the effectiveness of naturally occurring substances in neutralizing ocean pollutants such as fertilizer runoff, microplastics, and oil spills. Through controlled experiments and comparative analysis, I have identified promising substances like peppermint oil for microplastics and potato root for fertilizer runoff, along with many others, offering potential alternatives to chemical-based interventions. I will experiment with these substances to see if they are efficient at reducing the amount of pollutants in the oceans.”  Hannah Mathenge - Denyenye Beach Cleaners “The Denyenye Beach Cleaners project is dedicated to the cleanup and preservation of the Denyenye Reef area of Kwale County, Kenya. This initiative is focused on engaging women and youths within the community. The theory behind this targeted approach lies in recognizing the specific challenges faced by women due to the impacts of climate change. By involving them, the project aims to empower and inclusively engage these groups, ensuring their active participation in safeguarding the local ocean environment. Additionally, this project provides an opportunity for women and youths to gain valuable skills related to waste sorting, data collection, and ocean mapping, which can lead to potential employment and community leadership roles. By fostering community engagement, raising environmental awareness, and building a more resilient community, this initiative embodies a holistic approach to addressing climate change and ocean conservation." Selone Nuah - Trash to Art (TAT) “Liberia is a country located on the West Coast of Africa; however, lack of proper waste management facilities often force people to throw away their trash in water sources like oceans, lakes, and rivers. This has resulted in a negative attitude towards trash. For my Trash to Art (TAT) project, I aim to collaborate with high school students in Monrovia, Liberia and create art pieces from collected ocean trash. With this project, I hope to inspire the love of cleaning the ocean and creating inspirational art pieces that tell a story about how we can grow to appreciate the ocean's richness.”  Dennis Wambugu - Coast Safi Project “The Coast Safi Project entails conducting community beach cleans-up events to remove plastic waste which can then be recycled. In the process, the project helps collect waste from local businesses to discourage dumping them into the ocean.” Dave Mathenge - Beach Clean-Up "The Beach clean-up initiative involves removing plastic bottles, papers, debris, and creating public awareness through my team. My main objective is maintaining marine life.” Sospeter Mayani - The Diani Beach Clean-Up
“This project consists of a beach cleanup project in Diani Beach, Kenya. It will help to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for the local community by removing litter from the beach and disposing of it properly. The project will reach tourists, local residents, and marine life.”
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