Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Russell.
Hi Sean, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My passion for conservation and environmental education was born from early experiences exploring and connecting with Florida’s marine environments with my friends and family. My interest in our incredible natural resources quickly led to a growing interest in conservation, fostered through my time as a member of the Florida 4-H program and involvement in education programs at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, FL. A high school internship at Mote provided an incredible opportunity to take part in real-world marine research projects while gaining experience communicating the importance of conservation with members of my community. During my time in this program, I spent two years working on a study of human-dolphin interactions with the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, the world’s longest-running wild dolphin research project. Through this work, I saw firsthand the negative impacts of human activities on local marine wildlife. This experience led me to launch the Stow It-Don’t Throw It Project – a youth-driven campaign to equip anglers and boaters with tools to properly dispose of and recycle monofilament fishing lines to protect marine wildlife from fishing line entanglement.
What started as a one-year project quickly expanded as a result of the enthusiasm of young people driving this effort and the support of diverse conservation organizations. As the program expanded across Florida and the country, I saw the power of young people uniting behind a solutions-oriented approach to ocean conservation and the power of collaborative partnerships to address conservation challenges.
These lessons laid the foundation for my work to launch the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit, an annual event held in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory and now modeled in cities across the United States. This program equips youth participants with the knowledge, tools, and funds needed to launch solutions-oriented ocean conservation projects in their local communities. Over the past decade, this program has grown to include events in 13 cities and our first international, virtual Youth Ocean Conservation Summit held last December. Through these Summits, we’ve built capacity in over 3,000 youth participants, supporting their work to lead projects ranging from mangrove restoration programs to policy advocacy efforts. Our mini-grant program has provided funds to directly support over 150 youth-driven conservation projects around the world.
While I continue to lead the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit program working alongside an amazing team of youth leaders and partners that make this work possible, my professional career has ultimately led me to my current role as the Associate Director of Youth Engagement & Partnerships at EarthEcho International. My work at EarthEcho International has been a culmination of my passion for building opportunities for youth leaders to drive conservation change on a global scale while bringing diverse organizations to collaboration to increase impact in this field.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As we work to ensure a sustainable future for our planet, it is critically important that young people have an opportunity to lead meaningful conservation action in collaboration with established organizations. In my work, I am forever grateful for the support of organizations like Mote Marine Laboratory, who gave me an opportunity and support as a young person to realize my vision for the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit program. In all of my work, I am focused on providing these same opportunities for other young people to ensure youth voice is central to the work of international conservation efforts.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I have dedicated my professional career to building opportunities for young people worldwide to play a meaningful role in leading action to protect our ocean planet. Through this work, I have had the unique opportunity to develop effective youth engagement programs for international non-profit organizations, corporations, and government agencies. I am most proud of the impact of the youth leaders I have the privilege of collaborating with around the world and my work uniting diverse partner organizations to ensure the success of these efforts.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The Youth Ocean Conservation Summit has been built on a foundation of collaboration – initially beginning with the team at Mote Marine Laboratory and expanding through the funders, partners, volunteers, event speakers/mentors, host sites, and youth leaders who have sustained and grown this work over the years. Interested individuals and organizations wishing to get involved can check out www.yocs.org to learn more about our work and impact, upcoming Summit events, and the opportunity to host a Youth Ocean Conservation Summit. You can also follow the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit on Facebook (www.facebook.com/youthoceanconservationsummit) and Instagram (@YOCSummit).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yocs.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sean_russell92/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seandrussell
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/seandrussell
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/seandrussell
