Ocean-Loving Bow Seat Alums: Join the 2022 Future Blue Youth Council!
September 8, 2021As we near the end of an amazing inaugural year with our 2021 cohort, we are excited to open applications for the 2022 Future Blue Youth Council!
The Future Blue Youth Council (FBYC) is a diverse group of young people working together to advance Bow Seat’s mission and to empower their fellow peers to advocate for our environment. Council members are paid to serve one-year terms as project managers, advisors, and creative idea generators!
“Being a part of Bow Seat’s international Future Blue Youth Council has given me an amazing opportunity to work with, learn from, and support my cohort’s efforts to champion creative and community-based activism.”—Jude Strelitz-Block, 2021 FBYC member
Bow Seat alums (students who have participated in any of Bow Seat programs, such as the Ocean Awareness Contest; Healthy Whale, Healthy Ocean Challenge; and/or the Marine Debris Creative Advocacy Competition) ages 16-21 from around the world are invited to apply. We’re not looking for any particular type of experience—just a passion for learning and protecting our blue planet.
A year ago, Bow Seat alumna and intern Akhila Bandlora asked herself, “What if young environmental advocates from around the world could come together to come up with new ways of advocating for and protecting our ocean?” It was a bold idea born out of a desire to build on Bow Seat’s growing community of youth activists. After the Bow Seat team worked with Akhila to form the FBYC, the program took on a life of its own. The 2021 Council members have each brought their own skills, interests, and flair to the table.
The 2022 FBYC will have the opportunity to build on the great work that the 2021 cohort has started, further developing the grantmaking program (known as the Future Blue Youth Council Fellowship) that launched this year, which funds and supports youth projects that protect our waterways. 2022 FBYC members will mentor grantees and create additional resources for youth who want to make a difference in the environmental space.
Council members will also hear from experts in the field(s) of ocean conservation and creative advocacy, have opportunities to present at conferences and participate in interviews, and help shape Bow Seat’s educational programming. In other words, this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss!
Becoming a Future Blue Youth Council member was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Now it’s your turn!”—Sarah Ahmed, 2021 FBYC member
Applications for the 2022 FBYC close on November 7th, so be sure to get started on your application right away! If you have any questions, you can contact the FBYC here or send us a message on our Instagram (@future.blue.youth.council). We are so excited to welcome you to our team!