U.S. YOUTH ACTION COUNCIL
FOR UN OCEAN DECADE IS AN
ADVANCED-LEADERSHIP
OPEN-ACCESS
REAL-WORLD TRAINING
COLLABORATIVE
PROGRAM PROVIDING
OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH AN
ANNUAL COHORT
Since 2020, Heirs To Our Ocean has invested deeply in 210 youth leaders—80% young women and girls—from 30 states and territories. Each participant receives 7-8 months of advanced, real-world leadership training at no cost, equipping them to drive change in their communities and beyond.
Today, these alumni are multiplying their impact, mentoring peers, influencing policy, co-creating projects, and leading movements that reach thousands more across the U.S. and globally.
Heirs To Our Ocean is a Decade Implementation Partner of UNESCO‑IOC’s Ocean Decade. Our program, the U.S. YAC UN Ocean Decade, is an official Decade Action and the first youth action council furthering solutions to the Decade’s 10 challenges in the world.
THE 6TH COHORT OF CHANGE-MAKERS
IS NOW UNDERWAY!
Meet the 44 youth leaders – 84% young women and girls –
who are collaborating in action September 29, 2025, through May 1, 2026.
5th Cohort members attend 2025 U.S. Capitol Hill Advocacy Days in Washington D.C., learning from an alumni who now works as a congressional staff, one year after graduating the program.
OUR ADVANCED LEADERSHIP PROGRAM ENSURES A MULTIPLIER EFFECT OF OUR WORK THROUGH EACH PARTICIPANT.
Participants are selected from all States and Territories through an application process that considers:
Where they are located
Why they want to participate
Demonstrated leadership to date
How they respond to an empathetic-leadership focused scenario
How they interact with other applicants in a group setting
The education and skills the participants receive benefit their communities, their networks, and their future careers.
JOIN US IN SUPPORTING THESE YOUNG LEADERS AS THEY WORK TOGETHER TO:
Advance Ocean and Climate Literacy and Inspire Action in Their Communities through leading over 45 school and community presentations using the Youth Perspective Toolkit on the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges created by past cohorts.
Stop Plastic Pollution at the Source through Conducting Community Brand Audits to collect data on plastic waste, identify responsible corporations, and inform local and national policies.
Engage in Policy Advocacy to Build Community Resilience through organizing and leading over 60 meetings with U.S. lawmakers.
Every young leader deserves the chance to advance their skills and collaborate with other youth in solving real-world issues for their communities.
The program is open-access to include those on the frontlines, most vulnerable to ocean and climate impacts.
Your donation directly fuels the next generation of decision makers’ advanced-leadership journey as they gain skills and education to benefit their communities.
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3rd Cohort members attend the 2023 U.S. YAC UNOD’s U.S. Capitol Hill Advocacy Days in Washington D.C. at no cost to them.
WHAT YOUTH ALUMNI ARE SAYING
ALUMNI OF U.S. YOUTH ACTION COUNCIL UN OCEAN DECADE
YOUTH GAIN SKILLS, EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITIES
Real-World Empowerment and Leadership Skill Development
Workshops and real-world practice opportunities in empathetic leadership, public speaking, policy advocacy, team-work and collaborative problem solving, critical thinking, organization and project management, goal and objective setting, communications, storytelling, and more.
Ocean, Climate and Intersectionality Education
Trainings and shared-learning opportunities to achieve ocean and water literacy, climate literacy, and understanding related social justice and humanitarian issues, as youth participants gain an understanding that we all share one shared water system on planet Earth.
Access to High‑Level Opportunities and Intergenerational Collaboration
Engage in high-level opportunities such as UN conferences, stakeholder events, and working groups, collaborate with members of the National Academy of Sciences and the US National Committee for the UN Ocean Decade, and more.
Knowledge Transfer and Mentorship from Experts
Learning opportunities, guidance, and support from experienced professionals and leaders in all areas specific and relevant to achieving cohort goals including marine and climate scientists, policy experts, and business professionals.
Increase Network Access Local, National, and Global
Vastly expanded networks in science and policy advocacy in ocean, climate, and eco-justice work nationally and globally, in one’s local community, and in youth leadership.
REAL-WORLD IMPACT SINCE 2020
MOVEMENT-BUILDING
Mobilized over 7,300 youth advocates to drive ocean and water protection, climate action, and eco-justice, including:
Leading 30+ ocean and water literacy presentations in schools and communities;
Coordinating over 18 plastic pollution brand audits nationwide to support policies that hold the worse corporate offenders of plastic pollution responsible;
Launching social media campaigns to grow awareness and engagement;
Garnering community petition support for Hill Day advocacy;
Publishing youth‑written articles in global media such as ECO Mag;
Hosting a youth webinar and workshop on Ocean Decade engagement;
Hosting a virtual community gathering regarding their advocacy work;
Organizing a press conference in Washington D.C. to amplify their advocacy during Capitol Hill Days.
The current Cohort will engage in community awareness-raising, policy-informing, and plastic-pollution brand audits.
Support Community Plastic Audits
POLICY ADVOCACY TRAINING
Equipped over 210 youth with real-world policy advocacy skills, including how to:
Read, analyze, and track legislation;
Prepare and deliver compelling advocacy messages and personal storytelling;
Develop accurate and engaging policy fact sheets;
Organize and lead 40-60 meetings with U.S. lawmakers for 40-50 youth participants;
Plan effective follow‑up conversations with lawmakers and agencies.
320 youth‑led meetings with U.S. Congresspersons to advocate for a safer, healthier future so far, with 60 more during the current Cohort’s Hill Days 2026!
To date,186 young women and girls have gained 7-8 months of policy advocacy training.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Created educational tools for diverse audiences, including:
Spanish-language ocean and climate presentation toolkit used by youth advocates to engage more than 6 communities in learning about human impacts on ocean and climate across the U.S. and U.S.-territories.
Comprehensive UN Ocean Decade educational toolkit exploring the 10 Challenges through an eco-justice and climate-action lens — featuring youth perspectives and interactive critical-thinking activities now working to be implemented in at least 15 schools.
Children’s book series introducing eco-justice issues and Indigenous solutions to children ages 6–8, helping young readers understand the importance of protecting our shared planet.
The current Cohort is expanding this work — not only sharing these materials, but also leading at least 14 community workshops on the impacts of plastic pollution and local solutions. They are partnering with local businesses to conduct hands-on plastic pollution brand audits and engaging over 1,000 youth and community members with the knowledge and tools to take real action for a healthier ocean, a stable climate, and a more just future.
Support Community Education
HELP US PUBLISH OUR CHILDREN’S BOOK!
Our children’s book is nearly ready to go to a publisher!
We’re raising $5,000 to cover the process of final editing and all publishing and distributing entails.
We’re also seeking volunteers and experienced publishers and writers to help bring this project across the finish line and into the hands of youth around the world.
Artwork by Gavin Tesser, 5th & 6th Cohort U.S. YAC UN Ocean Decade participant.
IMPACT STORY
YOUTH CONTRIBUTE TO IOC/UNESCO’s VISION 2030 CHALLENGE 10 “WHITE PAPER”
As a member of the IOC/UNESCO’s Expert Working Group for Decade Challenge 10, we ensured the voices of youth ages 16‑25 was included in the drafting of the Vision 2030 Challenge 10 White Paper: Restoring society’s relationship with the ocean.
Nine youth from the 4th Cohort of the U.S. Youth Action Council for the UN Ocean Decade joined co-founder, April Peebler, in contributing to this document intended to address human behavior toward and our relationship with our ocean and waterways.
Including youth voices 25 and under in the Decade is essential, as valuing and integrating their perspectives not only empowers them to become catalysts for advancing the UN Ocean Decade’s priorities well into the future, it also represents the greatly‑needed diversity in high‑level decision‑making spaces offering the effectiveness of intergenerational collaboration in achieving long‑term solutions.
AFFILIATIONS
H2OO’s U.S. YAC UNOD is affiliated with the U.S. National Committee (USNC) for the Ocean Decade, which is housed under the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
