Our Vision
Youth and partners in our global network are collaborating in transformative ways to create a more just and equitable society and a healthy blue planet.
Our Mission and Values
The Ocean Project catalyzes collective action for a healthy ocean and a stable climate. By collaborating with youth leaders, aquariums, zoos, and other community organizations we are growing a global network that effectively engages the public, informs policymakers, and strives to protect our blue planet.
Everything The Ocean Project does is based on the values of collaboration and community, inclusion and impact, and respect for all people and life with whom we share this blue planet. We recognize that a healthy ocean is essential for life, allowing humans and the rest of nature to survive and thrive.
One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together
Through the power of effective partnerships with youth and diverse organizations, we are growing stronger leadership for transformative change and durable impact.
We focus on collaborative conservation and creating collective impact by growing the movement for a healthy ocean and a stable climate. Since 1997, we have worked to protect and restore our blue planet by helping aquariums, zoos, museums to develop into strong community leaders for conservation; developing World Ocean Day as a unique opportunity to unite and rally the world for celebration and collective action in June and throughout the year; building a network of thousands of partner organizations in 150+ countries to effectively engage the public and inform policymakers; and supporting collaborative youth leadership to advance bold ocean and climate solutions. Youth engagement and leadership is now the central focus for all we do.
Primary Strategies
Enhance capacity of youth and our partners to advocate for conservation impact
- Build the capacity of youth and our partners to effectively communicate, educate, and engage with their target audiences, and decisionmakers
Scale solutions within and beyond our network
- Develop our network, sharing successes and catalyzing individual and collective action, ensuring these efforts add maximum value to local, national, and global conservation campaigns and movements
Our Priorities
Youth Engagement and Leadership
We've been steadily building a collaborative global youth initiative and network since 2009 to develop a broad, diverse, active, and united youth movement for our blue planet. This innovative initiative focuses on enhancing environmental literacy while growing youth action and advocacy. We regularly conduct collaborative training programs on the issues and advocacy, help connect youth and youth-focused organizations worldwide, spotlight diverse youth leaders, and co-develop collaborative national and international policy-focused campaigns. More on the youth initiative here.
The Ocean Project launched global coordination of World Ocean Day in 2002. Powered by the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council, with 25 members from a similar number of countries, this unique global celebration of our one shared ocean unites the world for collective action, in June and throughout the year. We engage the World Ocean Day network all 365 days for stewardship and collaborative action to improve national and international policy. More on World Ocean Day here.
We've grown from a handful of co-founding organizations in 1997 into one of the most extensive networks ever created for ocean and climate conservation. Much of our work is done behind-the-scenes, supporting our youth leaders and other key partners to be bolder and collaborating with community, national and international organizations to scale success. Together we co-develop campaigns for conservation impact, sharing lessons learned with our global partner network to benefit from. To support our network of diverse partners and the larger conservation community, we openly share our data and insights. Have your organization join today or sign up as an individual to be kept informed. More on our campaigns here.
Our Team
The Ocean Project intentionally does not try to brand itself, but is dedicated to supporting youth and our global partner network. Small by design, we are a data-driven and solutions-focused organization that punches far above its weight. To learn about our team, click here.