One of OFI’s programs is the Ocean First Explorers Club, which is geared towards educating kids in fourth grade through high school about the role the ocean plays in their lives. In just a few years, OFI has reached more than 80,000 students from Colorado to Cambodia, and a little bit of everywhere in between, through their virtual outreach and after school programs.
According to Mikki, kids don’t see the enormity of the challenges the earth faces, and, instead, they ask what they can do to solve the problem.
“Youth are open-minded and full of possibilities,” said Mikki. “They don’t know ‘no,’ and that’s a beautiful thing.”
It’s with this mindset that some of Mikki’s students are tackling challenges and developing solutions. Following an OFI underwater remotely operated vehicle competition, one of the student’s ROVs is now in use in South America's Lake Titicaca where it is monitoring a species of endangered frogs.
And it’s not just about developing new technologies to overcome adversity. Armed with the knowledge that the ocean starts inland, kids are beginning to educate their parents and hold them accountable for being responsible consumers.
“The biggest thing kids are learning is empathy,” said Mikki. “Through the after-school club, students are banning together.”
As an example of the pact that forms through OFI’s programs, Mikki shared a story of elementary school students who organized a trash clean up at their school, without prompting from adults.
“They know where this [trash] goes,” said Mikki. “It’s the start of a changed ethic and value system.”
So what are we to do with the pessimistic adults, who are often all doom and gloom when it comes to the future of our planet?
Mikki recommends adopting a “you can” attitude by making it a priority to share knowledge with the people in your lives.
She also encourages people to not be held back by adulthood.
“We need to embrace our inner child because there’s no limits and it’s a whole lot of fun!”
Get Involved!
There’s no way better to become more hopeful and enthusiastic about our ocean’s future than by surrounding yourself with kids who are full of positive energy. Learn more about OFI's programs by watching the video or visiting OFI's website to get involved!