Blue Innovation Day 2024 Welcomes O'Neill Sea Odyssey

O'Neill Sea Odyssey is excited to announce its participation in Blue Innovation Day 2024, a premier event dedicated to fostering solutions for ocean health. Taking place on October 6th, this gathering of innovators, researchers, and ocean enthusiasts provides a platform to share ideas, collaborate, and drive positive change.

As a leading marine education organization, O'Neill Sea Odyssey will be showcasing its commitment to inspiring the next generation of ocean stewards. Visitors to the O'Neill Sea Odyssey booth will have the opportunity to learn about the organization’s hands-on educational programs, which bring students face-to-face with the wonders of the marine world.From exploring tide pools to conducting scientific experiments, O'Neill Sea Odyssey ignites a passion for ocean conservation in young minds.

To make the day even more exciting, O'Neill Sea Odyssey is offering an unforgettable experience to four lucky attendees. A chance to win a sailing trip aboard the organization’s iconic catamaran awaits those who visit the booth. This prize offers a unique opportunity to explore the stunning Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and witness firsthand the marine life that calls it home.

By joining Blue Innovation Day, O'Neill Sea Odyssey aims to contribute to a broader conversation about ocean conservation and inspire attendees to take action. The organization believes that by working together, we can create a healthier and more sustainable future for our planet's oceans.

About OSO

O’Neill Sea Odyssey (OSO) was founded in 1996 by wetsuit innovator and surfer Jack O’Neill. A living classroom was created on board a 65-foot catamaran sailing the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary where 4th – 6th grade students from schools throughout Central California receive hands-on lessons about the marine habitat and the importance of the relationship between the living sea and the environment. The program is conducted on board the catamaran with follow-up lessons at the shore-side Jack O’Neill and Harry Hind Education Center at the Santa Cruz Harbor. It is free of charge, but students earn their way into the program by designing and performing a project to benefit their community.

The curriculum is taught in a stimulating and intimate learning environment, which provides a learning experience that lasts a lifetime. The program’s curriculum is designed to support the educational goals of the schools that participate, and each of the subjects taught align with both California state and federal education standards. The three subjects taught are marine science, marine and watershed ecology, and navigation/mathematics.

OSO has served 100,000 students since its inception. In 2004 the program received the prestigious California Governor’s award in Economic and Environmental Leadership, in 2005 it received US Senator Barbara Boxer’s Conservation Champion award, and in 2013 OSO received the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Community Impact Award.

Most of OSO’s work involves the core program, which is the one-day field trip supplemented by standards-based marine science curriculum for participating classes use before and after the field trip. In addition, the Adam Webster Memorial Fund, founded by Tom & Judy Webster when their son Adam passed away in 1999, provides the program for cognitively and physically challenged individuals. In August 2009, OSO’s Adam Webster Memorial Fund received the Community Spinners award from the Special Parents Information Network for its work with special needs youth.