Motivating young individuals to follow their dreams and advocate for their beliefs offers parents a meaningful way to cultivate independence, inspire curiosity, and highlight the significant contributions they can make in their communities and beyond.
The Ocean Heroes Bootcamp is a yearly collaborative summit designed to equip youth between the ages of 11 and 18 globally for environmental activism and the fight against plastic pollution. This event spans a weekend filled with workshops, guest speakers, and campaign development, guiding participants in crafting their own initiatives targeting plastic waste while also instructing them on how to effectively enact these campaigns.
This initiative is backed by the Captain Planet Foundation, Lonely Whale, and the Point Break Foundation, with support from over ten additional partners, and is held annually by Ocean Wise in Vancouver. The second edition of the Ocean Heroes Bootcamp occurred in June, uniting young activists from 20 countries for a weekend filled with workshops, brainstorming sessions, campaign development, and networking.
The Experience
Twelve-year-old Taylor Wheeler, son of Ellen Wheeler from up7op, was among the lucky attendees of this year’s Ocean Heroes Bootcamp. The three-day event is structured to impart knowledge on various subjects, including media literacy, global plastic policies, scientific education, strategic campaigning, “artivism,” and creative idea development.
Furthermore, attendees were supported by squad leaders who were responsible for guiding newcomers through the bootcamp while sharing their own journeys. Squad leaders Hannah Testa from Hannah for Change and Olivia and Carter Ries from One More Generation expressed their enthusiasm for mentoring others in the fight against plastic pollution.
Hannah Testa remarked, “Our goal is to nurture activists like myself. I went through a lengthy journey to reach this stage, and I want to assist other young people in navigating that path more efficiently by providing insights on policy, campaigning, and social influence. We have the capacity to mentor them towards quicker success.”
Olivia Ries, a youth activist, urges adults and educators to get involved. “The Ocean Heroes Bootcamp is amazing. It gathers youth from around the globe to strategize and drive change. However, we also need adult support,” she emphasizes.
Encouraging community building and a passion for advocacy is a vital method for nurturing our children and demonstrating that their voices count. For additional information about the Ocean Heroes Bootcamp and details for next year’s event, visit oceanheroes.blue.
What is artivism?
In addition to developing their own campaigns, Taylor Wheeler and other participants engaged in various exercises centered around artivism, which merges art with activism.
In an exercise titled love letters to the sea, Taylor expressed the juxtaposition of the ocean’s natural beauty against the devastation caused by humans. He poignantly depicted “the ocean filled with trash next to a stunning sunset while the sea cried out, ‘please help me.’”
A brief overview of bootcamp workshops
While being part of the #sharksquad, Taylor Wheeler attended workshops such as:
- Citizen science led by Litterati, an application aimed at combating litter and pollution
- Plastic science sessions with 5Gyres
- Media training organized by The Big Blue & You
- Campaign strategies and pitching techniques with Captain Planet, Lonely Whale, and Erin Shrode, a prominent activist who campaigned for US Congress at just 25 years old
