Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs Receives a $20,000 Grant from the Horne Family Foundation
June 7, 2022(Boston, MA) – For the third consecutive year, Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs (Bow Seat) has received a grant from the Horne Family Foundation in support of our mission to engage youth in environmental conservation and advocacy through the arts. This grant will provide valuable operating support for Bow Seat at a critical time: with global warming happening even faster than scientists previously thought, catastrophic changes are happening on Earth.
For more than a decade, Bow Seat’s flagship educational program—the annual Ocean Awareness Contest (Contest)—has invited youth to explore the connections between human activities and the health of our blue planet through visual and performing arts, creative writing, film, and multimedia. More than 24,000 middle and high school students from all 50 U.S. states and over 130 countries have participated in the program, which has introduced them to issues such as climate change, plastic pollution, water justice, and endangered species. We have awarded nearly $450,000 in scholarships to Contest winners.
To support students’ participation in the Contest, Bow Seat curates an online Resource Studio—an interdisciplinary experience using artwork, journalistic media, primary scientific literature, interactive quizzes, and more—to help them learn about environmental issues. In addition, the Resource Studio provides lesson plans, classroom activities, and suggested reading to help educators incorporate the Contest into their classrooms and meet important educational standards across disciplines. We also host a monthly Deep Dive webinar series that explores conservation and creative advocacy topics with guest artists, scientists, and activists.
Bow Seat expands the reach of student work by featuring their pieces in our online Gallery, and through exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, presentations, and social media. This provides a special opportunity to showcase teens’ individual skills while also demonstrating the strength of their collective voices. Their artwork raises awareness of critical environmental issues among wider audiences, transforming concepts that are often met with apathy, disbelief, or resistance into a relevant, empathetic experience that taps into emotions and builds a collective consciousness.
“We are so appreciative of the Horne Family Foundation’s generous support over the past few years,” said Linda Cabot, founder and president of Bow Seat. “Never before has galvanizing and uplifting youth been more important, and with the Foundation’s assistance, we can continue working towards our shared priorities: to combat the climate crisis and engage the next generation in actively participating in solutions.”
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About Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs: Bow Seat is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that empowers youth to connect, create, and communicate for our blue planet. Visit bowseat.org for more information about the Ocean Awareness Contest, upcoming programs and events, and collection of student artwork and creative media.