The Echo: Quarterly Newsletter — Fall 2022
THE OURECHO CHALLENGE IS NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES!
Early this month, EarthEcho International hosted the first-ever 24-hour OurEcho Teach-In event to
celebrate biodiversity. The event virtually brought together over 4,800 registered participants from 135
sites in 13 countries to learn from experts all over the world.
At the culmination of the event, we announced that the OurEcho Challenge is NOW OPEN for entries
until March 3, 2023! Students in the US AND UK are eligible to enter and win up to $5,000 USD and
£5,000 for their school. We encourage educators and parents to explore the resources and have your
students brainstorm action plans over the upcoming holiday breaks. We can’t wait to see their plans
to change the world!
MORE ABOUT THE OURECHO CHALLENGE
LOS ANGELES TEACHERS GATHERED FOR LEADERSHIP TRAINING
On November 11th and 12th, EarthEcho International collaborated with 24 middle school teachers on
the creation of new curriculum materials exploring the emerging blue economy. This Ocean of
Opportunity Educator Leadership Training event was made possible through collaboration with
AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles and with support from the Northrop Grumman Foundation. Teachers
are currently putting learning into practice to advise EarthEcho's education team on the new blue
economy curriculum materials, which will be available for teachers worldwide beginning in 2023.
YOUTH LEADERS GATHER TO PROTECT BIODIVERSITY
On November 19th, EarthEcho’s Youth Leadership Council held a Biodiversity Blast Off Countdown to
COP15 event to discuss the importance of protecting biodiversity across the globe. Youth networked
with their peers in breakout rooms, discussing the implications of climate change and biodiversity loss
in their own communities, and heard from guest speakers from the fields of marine science and policy,
including Anupa Asokan from NRDC, Dr. Jenna Sullivan-Stack from Oregon State University, and Mehek
Agrawal, an OceanEcho 30x30 Fellow and student at Drew University. The 40 participants left the event
with new perspectives on bridging the gap between policy and the public leading up to COP15.
AMANDA SUN FEATURED ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA
On November 8th, YLC member Amanda Sun was featured
on Good Morning America, where she talked about the
memories, friends, and family that spurred her to start
Green2Go."By ditching plastic we can live in a healthier,
cleaner world, and that is worth fighting for." - Amanda.
SAVE THE DATE: #GIVINGTUESDAY IS NOVEMBER 29!
Together we can do extraordinary things. Join us on #GivingTuesday and let’s rally to build a global
youth movement to protect and restore our ocean planet.
Here is how you can get ready to give:
1. Mark your calendar using this calendar invite!
2. Give. On November 29, go to https://earthecho.org/giving-tuesday to donate.
3. Spread the word. Encourage your friends and family to join you in creating real impact on November
29 by sharing what our mission means to you and why you support our organization. Make sure to use
hashtag #GivingTuesdayEEI and tag us so we can share!
WATER CHALLENGE GOES TO NEW ORLEANS
We made a big splash in New Orleans in October! On October 7th EarthEcho, Xylem, and
Trinnex Digital volunteered at Water Palooza in NOLA, educating students at the Good Shepherd
School on the EarthEcho Water Challenge and why it's important to monitor their local waterways.
EarthEcho staff also attended the WEFTEC conference (October 10-11) and collaborated with Xylem
Watermark on the "Make Your Mark Pledge." A total of 100 participants pledged to plog, conduct
research on their local waterways, use reusable bags, or donate an EarthEcho water quality test kit.
SUBMIT YOUR EARTHECHO WATER CHALLENGE DATA: DUE DECEMBER 31, 2022.
WELCOME SUZIE HICKS AS THE NEW ONLINE COMMUNITIES COORDINATOR!
Suzie Hicks (she/they) is an environmental educator and
media maker based in New York City. In her work, she
navigates the intersections between entertainment,
education, environmental justice, and community activism.
Their work particularly emphasizes the power of online
learning communities — both with youth advocates
and educator allies. Suzie has joined the EarthEcho team
after four years as an educator engagement specialist at
PBS SoCal - the PBS KIDS station serving Southern
California. Welcome, Suzie!
ELEVATING YOUTH LEADERSHIP THROUGH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND CLIMATE WEEK EVENTS
The EarthEcho International team joined our partners in New York City in September for a series of
events in conjunction with the UN General Assembly and Climate Week. We kicked off by organizing
a digital projection during the High Ambition Coalition’s Landmark Leaders Event for a Nature Positive
World at the Central Park Zoo. This unique display featured messages from global youth ocean
advocates calling on government leaders to take urgent action on the goal of protecting 30% of the
ocean by 2030.Later in the week, YLC members Nicolas Lama and Lela DeVine joined EarthEcho partner
Newday Impact Investing at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the closing bell. They also presented
at the Climate Impact Talks, organized by PeaceBoat US, Blue Planet Alliance, and the Green Schools
Conference.Read more in reflections from Nicolas and Lela about their experiences.