A Recap of the Ocean Youth Summit and The Ocean Race Summit in Aarhus, Denmark
Summary
Rise partnered with 11th Hour Racing to participate at the Ocean Youth Summit in Aarhus, a stopover city of the Ocean Race. The Ocean Race Summit, co-sponsored by 11th Hour Racing, brought together professional athletes, business leaders in sustainability, policymakers, scientists, and young leaders over a series of Summits. The Ocean Race is a legendary sailing race around the world. It is often described as the world’s longest and toughest professional sporting event and sailing’s toughest team challenge. The 14th edition of The Ocean Race started from Alicante, Spain, in January 2023, and will finish in Genova, the Grand Finale, in Italy at the end of June 2023. The race visits nine iconic cities around the globe over six months (Alicante, Spain – Cabo Verde – Cape Town, South Africa – Itajaí, Brazil – Newport, RI, USA – Aarhus, Denmark – Kiel Fly-By, Germany – The Hague, the Netherlands – Genova, Italy) and featured a leg with the longest racing distance in the 50-year history of the event – a 12,750 nautical mile, one-month marathon from Cape Town, South Africa to Itajaí, Brazil.
Recap of Events
Ocean Youth Summit
For Rise, the week began with the Ocean Youth Summit – a four-day experiential program that covered topics such as biodiversity and ocean pollution, innovation and startups, human health and wellbeing, future living and urban development, and more. At the close of the Ocean Youth Summit, Artash Nath (Rise Global Winner, 2021), Omar Cedron Ruiz (Rise Global Winner, 2021), and Allison Dominguez (Rise Global Winner, 2022) presented their Rise projects and left the audience with tangible ways to respond to the climate crisis in each of their communities. Mark Towill, CEO of 11th Hour Racing Team, also discussed how the team showcases the power of sport and philanthropy through various programs, including The Ocean Race.
Artash: Developed an interactive application via MonitorMyOcean.Com, which uses open seismic datasets that measures underwater noise levels for marine mammals’ protection.
Omar: Created an interactive risk assessment map using Peruvian Navy data to track flood levels in the Amazonian region of Peru to predict issues and assess the impact on the local tourism economy.
Allison: Created a solar water heater with recyclable materials aimed to help under-resourced people access warm water.
Ocean Race Summit
The Ocean Race Summit shed light on innovative solutions to protect and regenerate the ocean. Jacqueline Prawira (Rise Global Winner, 2022), spoke on a panel about youth perspectives on solutions for ocean health. Jacqueline Prawira is an inventor from the United States, aiming to build a sustainable world by developing a circular economy and upcycling waste. Jacqueline’s Rise project involved upcycling fish scale waste into a biosorbent to remove heavy metals from wastewater and in turn, prevent food and environmental contamination.
Closing Dinner
To close out the week, 11th Hour Racing held a private event for its grantees, sailing team, and Rise. All participants gathered for an Arctic Meal tasting and shared presentations on their respective organizations and future goals. Rise Winners connected with the Science Program of The Ocean Race and discussed ways for their projects to inform the program scientists’ work.
Quotes
“The conference served as a catalyst for a global movement toward sustainable ocean practices. By nurturing resilient urban structures, championing sustainable business practices, and harnessing the potential of public-private partnerships, we can pave the way for a thriving blue economy. The journey toward ocean sustainability requires dedication, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to preserving our planet’s most precious resource. Let us seize this momentum, leveraging the power of policy to safeguard our oceans for generations to come. Together, we can forge a sustainable future where vibrant marine ecosystems flourish, and the well-being of humanity is intricately intertwined with the health of our oceans.” – Artash Nath (Rise Global Winner, 2022)
“Over the course of the week, Rise Winners and attendees of The Ocean Race Summit and Ocean Youth Summit were exposed to how sport, science, and sustainability can accelerate the protection and restoration of our seas. Rise looks forward to future collaborations with 11th Hour Racing, where there are a plethora of opportunities between our community’s work and passion around this blue planet. Special thank you to the 11th Hour Racing team for introducing Rise and Rise Global Winners to The Ocean Race! The event doesn’t stop here! There is much work to be done as we row towards the same ocean rights and climate mitigation goals.” – Madison McCormick (Rise, Network & Community Building Associate)
Rise Winners In Attendance
Below is a list of Rise Global Winners that attended the summits.
Omar Cedron Ruiz | Peru, 18 yrs old | Rise 2021 Winner
A native of Iquitos, an island in the Amazonian jungle in Peru, Omar uses biodata to promote the economy and health of the local population. Omar used Peruvian Navy data to track flood levels in the region to predict issues and assess the impact on the local tourism economy. Omar has completed several courses with CISCO Academy and received certificates in topics such as cybersecurity and the Internet of Things. He is passionate about learning the complex structures of modern physics and is interested in a career in academic research.
Allison Jazmin Dominguez Fernandez | Peru, 18 yrs old | Rise 2022 Winner
Allison is a climate activist and aspiring energy engineer from Peru. She’s passionate about the energy sector and climate change. She also wishes to create a way to make clean and renewable energy cheaper and easier to transport in order to find an affordable replacement for fossil fuels. For her Rise project, Allison created a solar water heater with recyclable materials aimed to help under-resourced people access warm water. Allison believes that education in science and technology can change the world, and she hopes to help more Peruvian students access this education in the future.
Efe Sakarya | Turkey, 18 yrs old | Rise 2022 Winner
Efe is a Turkish activist and project maker focused on water contamination. For his Rise project, Efe created a device measuring and reducing the toxicity level in the water caused by hydrogen sulfide within the algae system. Having an interest in climate change, he has led local organizing for climate action. He has also written articles on climate change and the UN SDGs.
Jacqueline Prawira | USA, 18yrs old | Rise 2022 Winner
Jacqueline Prawira is an inventor from the United States aiming to build a sustainable world by developing a circular economy and upcycling waste. Jacqueline’s Rise project upcycled fish scale waste into a biosorbent to remove heavy metals from wastewater, preventing food and environmental contamination. She became a published researcher in 2021 and has won awards from Broadcom MASTERS, ISEF, and STS. She hopes to continue inventing to promote global sustainability in her studies at MIT and in her career.
Artash Nath | Canada, 16 yrs old | Rise 2021 Winner
Through participation in hackathons and protests for social justice, Artash realized that many gains achieved by protests get lost in the digital world due to algorithmic biases. For his Rise project, he created a way to measure the effectiveness of COVID-19 lockdowns using seismic vibrations to track human movement. The site enabled policymakers to learn about the effectiveness of the lockdowns in real time and without encroaching on privacy. At eight years old, he won his first hackathon: the 2014 NASA SpaceApps Challenge, where he coded an autonomous rover.