Youth Leaders Unite: Tackling Ocean Pollution with EarthEcho

The Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup, presented in the US by founding sponsor Tru Earth, provides citizen scientists, school groups, and any water lovers with the simplest way to take action in their communities. In fall 2024, Ocean Wise teamed up with EarthEcho International on an exciting project: the GenSea Shoreline Cleanup Challenge. Through this project, we provided 20 young environmental advocates between the ages of 13-25 from across the United States with small grants to organize Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanups in local communities. Although the grants were limited to young leaders in the United States, four cleanups were also hosted by youth looking to take action around the world, in cities like Cartagena, Colombia and Kisumu, Kenya! 

These young leaders took the initiative to organize and lead cleanups, removing a total of 258 kilograms (or 568 pounds) of litter that would have otherwise entered our waterways. The most commonly found item? Plastic Pieces (less than 2.5cm) from various sources. 

These cleanups made a big impact on local communities and on the youth leaders themselves! 

“By participating in the GenSea Shoreline Cleanup Challenge I was empowered to make a change in the community around me and to continue my passion for minimizing the plastic pollution that is so popular in the harbours and waterways of Southern California.” – Isabella M. 

“My experience participating in the GenSea Shoreline Cleanup Challenge was both inspiring and enlightening. Witnessing the vast amount of plastic pollution in one of Houston’s natural parks deepened my understanding of the crisis. I think that participating in this cleanup with my peers helped us all understand the responsibility we have as human beings to care for our earth and inspired us to continue making a difference in our community.” – Valeria S. 

“The park looked clean at plain sight but after an hour of cleaning we collected a lot of stuff, including over 230 cigarette butts! We were all shocked at the quantity.” – Camila R. I. 

“Organizing a cleanup for the GenSea Shoreline Cleanup Challenge was amazing and inspiring! This experience demonstrated that anyone can conduct a cleanup in their community and make a difference, regardless of their proximity to a beach.” – Emma K. 

Is your organization looking to collaborate on community-based Shoreline Cleanup efforts? Reach out to us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you! 

About EarthEcho:

EarthEcho International, a nonprofit established by explorer and advocate Philippe Cousteau, Jr, in honor of his father, Philippe Cousteau Sr., and grandfather, legendary explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, has a mission to build a global youth movement to protect and restore our ocean planet, a critical part of creating a sustainable and equitable future for all. Reaching more than 2 million people in 146 countries, EarthEcho equips individuals and groups to identify local needs, develop plans, and take action starting in their own communities as part of a larger, connected global network of changemakers.   

EarthEcho’s GenSea digital platform provides youth exclusive access to a global community of over 2,000 young ocean advocates, ages 13-25, from more than 100 countries, connected through networking, learning, and collective action to protect and restore our ocean planet.