VIA SENTI

2025 PROGRAM IMPACT: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL IOC/UNESCO'S OCEAN DECADE ENGAGEMENTS IN 2025 VIA SENTI, FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME HEIRS TO OUR OCEAN (H2OO), CONTINUED TO BUILD MOMENTUM AS A DECADE IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER OF IOC/UNESCO, AS IT HAS SINCE 2021, ENSURING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS IS INCLUDED MEANINGFULLY IN OCEAN AND CLIMATE DECISION-MAKING AND GOVERNANCE. UN OCEAN DECADE PROGRAMS, PROJECTS AND ENGAGEMENTS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: U.S. YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (FORMERLY U.S. YOUTH ACTION COUNCIL FOR THE UN OCEAN DECADE) CONVENED TWO COHORTS IN 2025: 46 PARTICIPANTS IN THE 5TH COHORT (SEPTEMBER 2024MAY 2025) AND 39 PARTICIPANTS IN THE 6TH COHORT (SEPTEMBER 2025MAY 2026). ACROSS BOTH COHORTS, PARTICIPANTS BUILT REAL- WORLD LEADERSHIP SKILLS THROUGH 9 SKILL-BUILDING WORKSHOPS, 346 MENTORSHIP HOURS, AND HANDS-ON COMMUNITY PROJECTS INCLUDING 20+ OCEAN AND CLIMATE EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS AND 32 PLASTIC POLLUTION BRAND AUDITS DOCUMENTING TOP CORPORATE PLASTIC POLLUTERS. THE 5TH COHORT COMPLETED POLICY ADVOCACY TRAINING CULMINATING IN 74 VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MEETINGS WITH U.S. FEDERAL LAWMAKERS DURING THEIR CAPITOL HILL DAYS, WITH 82% OF IN-PERSON PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING ON NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS. ENGAGED 9 YOUTH INTERNS IN ADVANCED LEADERSHIP ROLES: 6 SERVED AS PEER MENTORS AND PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR THE 5TH AND 6TH COHORTS OF THE U.S. YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, AND 3 CONTRIBUTED THEIR TALENTS AS EDITORS AND ILLUSTRATORS TO AN ORIGINAL OCEAN LITERACY CHILDREN'S BOOK A MULTI-YEAR, YOUTH-DRIVEN CREATIVE PROJECT SPANNING 2 COHORTS OF THE U.S. YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL PROGRAM. INTERNATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (FORMERLY THE YOUTH INCLUSION EXPERT WORKING GROUP DEVELOPED FOR IOC/UNESCO): 18 PARTICIPANTS FROM 11 COUNTRIES TOOK PART IN THIS PROGRAMS FIRST COHORT (JANUARY 2025 - DECEMBER 2025) ENGAGING IN STRATEGIC PLANNING, PUBLIC SPEAKING, AND MOVEMENT BUILDING. THROUGH THE FIRST COHORT, WE FACILITATED INTERGENERATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST-EVER YOUTH INCLUSION STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN FOR THE IOC/UNESCO OCEAN DECADE. PANEL AND PRESENTATION ENGAGEMENT AT IOCS DECADE EVENTS AT THE UN OCEAN CONFERENCE IN NICE, FRANCE. H2OO FUNDED 10 YOUTH LEADERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO ATTEND AND PRESENT THE YOUTH INCLUSION STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO 350+ CROSS-SECTOR PROFESSIONALS. CONCURRENTLY, A COLLABORATIVE WORLD OCEAN WEEK CAMPAIGN REACHED 8,100+ PEOPLE GLOBALLY DURING THIS CONFERENCE. SUPPORTED H2OO INTERNATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER JULIA, A YOUNG WOMAN FROM INDONESIA, IN DELIVERING A KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT THE UN OCEAN CONFERENCE VIRTUAL SIDE EVENT 'GENERATION BLUE: EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING YOUTH FOR OCEAN CONSERVATION,' HOSTED BY GLOBAL YOUTH PHILANTHROPY, AMPLIFYING YOUTH VOICES FROM THE GLOBAL SOUTH IN HIGH-LEVEL OCEAN CONSERVATION CONVERSATIONS. SECURED AND SUPPORT YOUTH BOARD MEMBER LATIFAH NANSUBUGA AS THE ONLY YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE ON THE IOC/UNESCO PROGRAMME COMMITTEE FOR THE 2027 OCEAN DECADE CONFERENCE. PARTNERSHIP AND FINANCIAL UPDATES IN DECEMBER 2025, HEIRS TO OUR OCEAN JOINED THE WOMEN'S FUNDING NETWORK, A GLOBAL PHILANTHROPIC NETWORK CONNECTING FUNDERS COMMITTED TO GENDER EQUITY AND WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP. THIS MEMBERSHIP EXPANDS THE ORGANIZATION'S ACCESS TO A BROADER NETWORK OF FUNDERS ALIGNED WITH H2OO'S MISSION OF YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON SUPPORTING YOUNG WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF H2OO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. H2OO ALSO SECURED GRANT FUNDING TO ADVANCE BOTH PROGRAMMATIC IMPACT AND ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE. SUPPORT FROM THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES (GAIA) ENABLED THE CONTINUATION AND EXPANSION OF H2OOS YOUTH-LED PLASTIC POLLUTION BRAND AUDITS, EQUIPPING YOUNG LEADERS WITH TRAINING AND TOOLS TO LEAD BRAND AUDIT EVENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND HOLD CORPORATIONS ACCOUNTABLE FOR SINGLE-USE PLASTIC WASTE TO REDUCE PRODUCTION. ADDITIONALLY, FUNDING FROM THE RESILIENCE INITIATIVE SUPPORTED ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY DURING A CHALLENGING FUNDING LANDSCAPE FOR THE U.S.-BASED NONPROFITS. RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF PREPARING OUR YOUNG EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, 31-YEAR-OLD EMILY BERGLUND, TO NAVIGATE THIS ENVIRONMENT WE HIRED A FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT TO SUPPORT EMILY IN HER NEW ROLE DEVELOPING FUNDRAISING SKILLS.