A non-profit organization whose mandate is to conserve and protect the world’s oceans is looking for a few adventurous young people and has extended the application deadline for its Ocean Bridge conservation-education program in order to do just that, the organization announced Tuesday.

British Columbia-based Ocean Wise is looking for engaged people aged 19 to 30 for its Ocean Bridge program and has extended the deadline for application for the program until Monday. The program is a part-time five-month program that runs twice yearly, and connects 120 youth per cohort from coast to coast to coast empowering them to take action for ocean conservation.

Immersive learning experiences bookend the experience, and those selected to take part in the program are given the opportunity to learn and explore in one of the following four regions of Canada: the Pacific coast, the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic coast.

In a statement, Ocean Wise indicated the that this program also focuses on respect for others and aligns with the teachings of Indigenous people, particularly in relation to nature and their connection to the earth.

2022 Ocean Wise ambassador Megane Arsenau – who hails from the Monteregie-Ouest area, which incudes Kahnawake – said she was delighted to have taken part in the program and would do it again in a heartbeat.

“This program allowed me to learn about myself, others, the St. Lawrence, but mostly about nature itself. It is a unique opportunity to push oneself, to create bonds, to accomplish so much through months of pure joy while continuously learning,” she said. “There is no doubt that if I could do this experience again, to discover another Canadian region and the waterways within, I would do it without hesitation.”

The next cohort is set to begin in April and wrap up in September (a second cohort will begin in October and run through February). The program is designed to be done while you are in school or already working, allowing for a flexible environment that will suit the applicant’s needs.

No prior experience is required of participants and there are no financial costs for the youth. Further supports to facilitate participation and accessibility in the program can be made available.

Ocean Bridge is funded by the federal government’s Canada Service Corps. Since Ocean Bridge started in 2018, more than 578 young people have contributed over 182,000 hours of ocean-related community service and engagement in communities across Canada.

To apply, or for more details on the program, please visit www.ocean.org.

Marc Lalonde, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase