18/02/2026
๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
The Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation (CCEF), in collaboration with its assigned US Peace Corps Volunteer, Rachel Davis, ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ข๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐น๐๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐. The Ocean Club was established to provide students with hands-on marine science education and opportunities to engage in local conservation efforts, helping build environmental awareness, leadership skills, and a sense of stewardship for local coastal ecosystems.
Over the past year, students have demonstrated strong enthusiasm and commitment through activities such as field trips to local mangrove forests and coral reefs, environmental workshops, and engagement with marine professionals. While interest and motivation are high, many students in rural island communities face persistent barriers to higher education, including limited access to college guidance, mentorship, and financial resources.
To address these challenges, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ through a partnership with returned US Peace Corps Volunteer Angel Padilla and his organization, Project Gabay. This expansion will help senior high school students connect their interest in marine conservation with clear college and career pathways by integrating structured college preparation into Ocean Club programming. Planned activities include academic review sessions, scholarship guidance, mentorship events, and continued experiential environmental learning.
CCEF and partners have played an active role in supporting the Ocean Club by sharing technical expertise, speaking at student events, and strengthening links between conservation education and community-based coastal resource management. Grant funds for this phase of ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐, ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ hosted at the high school. Local teachers will receive training from Project Gabay staff to ensure long-term sustainability, with resources remaining at the school for use by future cohorts of students. These materials will help students prepare for college entrance exams and access information about scholarships and funding opportunities, ensuring students can participate fully and consistently.
By linking ocean education with college access and leadership development, this initiative empowers motivated youth to pursue further education while becoming informed leaders and active stewards of their island environment.
๐ง๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐. ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐-๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐.
https://www.peacecorps.gov/donate/projects/pp-26-492-001/
