Young Leaders making waves at the Ocean Youth Summit
OzFish’s Young Leaders Program participants were recently invited to attend the inaugural Ocean Youth Summit at the National Maritime Museum in Sydney —Cass Monckton from NSW, Claudia Parker from WA, and Katie Broadfoot from QLD all took part in what was an event to inspire the next generation.
Hosted by the Ocean Future Fund Inc. during National Youth Week, the summit highlighted the pivotal youth-led action being taken to protect our marine ecosystems for the future.
Claudia described the event as a powerful that shared inspiring stories and innovative solutions for positive action. She found it particularly inspirational to hear from pioneers who are driving progressive change in ocean conservation.
“It was incredibly motivating to be surrounded by so many inspirational people working towards a common goal – all dedicated to improving the future of our oceans,” said Claudia.
Cass echoed this sentiment, advocating for opportunities like this to be accessible to all teenagers and young adults. She felt they serve as powerful catalysts to generate change and actively participate in environmental advocacy and conservation early on.
“Something that spoke very deeply to me was one of the opening lines to the summit that went something like
‘Right now, young people are about 25% of the population, but they are 100% of our future’.
This statement reinforces the purpose of our attendance, and the potential we all have to implement change,” said Cass.
Katie was also invited last minute to join the Young Sustainability Leaders Panel, where she shared with the audience her experiences as a Young Leader navigating her studies and early career.
“I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be a part of the panel – I loved seeing the students attending the event take an interest in some of the projects that I have been working on with OzFish,” said Katie.
Coming together to share ideas and collaborate is key to making a meaningful impact on improving the environment and fish habitat. The Young Leaders engaged in insightful discussions with industry experts and fellow innovators, exchanging ideas and exploring ways to contribute to a healthier marine environment.
Click here to read the full summary from our Young Leaders.