YDWP Community Out-Reach Event

Hi All

Before we start the Coral Restoration Programme there is one more very important thing for the YDWP Youths to do and that is to share the project and their experiences with other youths. This is done through a special community out-reach event.

This is a blog from YDWP

Greetings: The final day of YDWP – Archeology {Friday} is our community out-reach component. Like last year we reached out to a local community and this year it was the city of Delray. {a small costal city about 80 miles from Florida City} We were able to go to Pompey Park ,one of Delray’s community centers. 

Once there the YDWP youth introduced themselves to a very excited and inquisitive group of young people. They asked so many good questions that we did not have time to answer them all. 

Idris Philogene and David Furst talked about the archeology and what we accomplished during the past week and Rachel Stewart and Gabriel Soto talked about our upcoming Coral Restoration Program.

After our inside activities we over we were able to go outside to the pool and give a demonstration of the scuba equipment, again the enthusiastic group was very much interested in the equipment. We also let some of them breathe off the regulator. What a day it makes it all worthwhile.
Ordinary youth doing extraordinary things

This is another interesting blog written for me by one of the YDWP youths.

Hey my berry good friends! This morning I was already to do yoga, but our instructor let us sleep in. I was actually disappointed. On a happier note, today we are going on a community service trip! 

We are going to teach young people about what we do, and to inspire them to do what ever they want. We started out by having 2 of my diving buddies present a slide show of marine archaeology, and how we do it. Then we had 2 of my other dive buddies present a slide show of the coral restoration program, and young people and even bears can do it. It may be hard work but if you set your mind to it, you can do anything you want. 

Next, we took the children out to the pool where 5 of the divers were ready to do a demonstration. We showed them each piece of equipment and explained the importance of each piece. Then came the fun part, some of the kids got to try and breath from the regulator to see how it feels to breath underwater. I hope that we inspired some of the kids to become divers in their future. 

Now I know what I'm going to do when i get home, I am going to present everything that I did so that I hopefully inspire some of the other bears to become divers. After our community service trip, we went to Hollywood Florida and had dinner. Then we had some free time to walk around for a little bit, and I couldn't help but be drawn to the water like always. I walked along the beach with some of my new friends. While they had to take off their shoes to feel the warm water, I just walked right in. The benefits of being a bear with paws too big for shoes.

It was a great day of excitement and sharing and I can't wait to share my adventures when I am back in the UK.

Come back soon to see the final part of my adventures with YDWP when we help restore a coral reef.