Bow Seat Receives Award Honoring Its Contributions to Marine Education
July 24, 2019

At the National Marine Educators Association Annual Conference this week, Bow Seat was presented with the Outstanding Organization Award in recognition of its strong leadership, programming, and accomplishments in marine education.

Bow Seat is a Boston-based nonprofit that provides a global platform for teens to create and communicate for the blue planet. Bow Seat’s programming engages youth in learning about ocean issues through art-making; amplifies their voices to advance environmental awareness and action; and empowers them to become cultural changemakers.

Since 2012, Bow Seat’s signature initiative, the Ocean Awareness Contest, has invited students to creatively explore the connections between human activities and the health of our ocean through visual art, writing, music, and film. With themes ranging from overfishing and oil spills to plastic pollution and climate change, the Contest has been at the forefront of introducing ocean issues to thousands of youth worldwide. More than 12,000 students from 106 countries and all 50 U.S. states have participated in the Contest program, and Bow Seat has awarded almost $300,000 in scholarships to help advance their creative talents and passion for the ocean, as well as to educators who support student participation and encourage them to be environmental stewards.

In addition, Bow Seat:

  • Expands the reach of student work through its online gallery, exhibitions, film screenings, publications, social media, and blog posts to showcase teens’ individual skills while also demonstrating the strength of their collective voices, which brings awareness of ocean issues to wider audiences.
  • Hosted the Marine Debris Creative Advocacy Competition—endorsed by the NOAA Marine Debris Program—which challenged students to design and lead creative campaigns in their community that educate others about marine debris and inspire action to reduce or prevent pollution.
  • Works with educators who want to combine ocean literacy and the creative arts in the classroom and beyond through hands-on workshops, mural-making, summer classes, and more.
  • Serves as a resource for initiatives in environmental and arts education, conservation, and advocacy. From international public art campaigns to local beach cleanups, Bow Seat works with its network of partners to elevate the next wave of creative ocean leaders.

“We are honored to be recognized for our contributions to marine education, and to work with a global community of students who are using their creative voices to speak up for our ocean,” said Linda Cabot, founder and president of Bow Seat. “Now more than ever, our blue planet needs artists and storytellers to raise awareness of the environmental threats it faces. We are proud to offer innovative programming that provides young creators with the skills, tools, and confidence to inspire positive change in their communities.”

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Bow Seat Receives Award Honoring Its Contributions to Marine Education

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