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ANNUAL REPORT

Artwork: Childhood Sparks and Splashing Memories by Joanne Sim (Harrington Park, NJ; 2025, Junior, Art: Handcrafted)

Artwork: While the World Burned by Ailley Park (Seoul, Republic of Korea, 2025; Senior, Art: Handcrafted)

WHERE WE’VE BEEN, WHERE WE’RE GOING

This past year has been a sobering one, marked by global turmoil and the systematic dismantling of critical environmental institutions and protections globally.

At Bow Seat, we remain committed to our mission of uplifting and inspiring youth as they face an increasingly uncertain and vulnerable world. A world where climate change looms as an everpresent existential threat. We believe that connection is our superpower, and that meaningful change grows from strong, supportive networks. Our community-driven programs foster confidence, belonging, and purpose, creating spaces where students can truly thrive.

Each year, Bow Seat’s global network of young people continues to expand, becoming a vibrant hub where participants build friendships, support one another, and learn across cultures. There is something powerful in watching teens cross borders and boundaries to find common ground, participating in a shared, global spirit of care and hope for our blue planet.

In 2025, Bow Seat updated our tagline to Bow Seat: Creative Action for Conservation. We wanted a new organizational name

WHERE WE’VE BEEN, WHERE WE’RE GOING

Research continues to show that creativity and art-making nurture emotional resilience, curiosity, and critical thinking. We believe in art as a powerful, empowering process and one that invites students to explore original ideas and find their unique voice. In a time when passive social media scrolling and constant negative news can weigh heavily on young minds, creative practice offers a vital, life-affirming alternative.

Our 2025 annual report brings together and celebrates the many milestones we reached this year. Great things happen when we come together, and it’s because of our shared strength that we’ve accomplished so much. I want to thank our wonderful Bow Seat team and give a heartfelt shout out to our fantastic interns, judges, and partners. Most of all, I want to thank our youth for stepping up, being brave, and having the courage to share their voices.

Linda Cabot President and Founder, Bow Seat: Creative Action for Conservation

IN 2025, BOW SEAT SUPPORTED THE FOLLOWING

UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Bow Seat’s focus on ocean conservation, marine ecosystems, and youth awareness through art and storytelling directly supports protecting oceans and marine biodiversity.

Many submissions and programs address biodiversity, ecosystems, and conservation more broadly - including terrestrial environments.

Through creative engagement (competitions, storytelling, campaigns), Bow Seat raises awareness about climate change and encourages young people to take action.

By amplifying youth voices globally, Bow Seat helps democratize access to environmental storytelling and platforms for expression.

Some art and storytelling focus on urban sustainability, environmental justice, and community resilience.

Submissions include gender perspectives in environmental issues and encourage equal gender participation.

Bow Seat collaborates with schools, NGOs, artists, and institutions, contributing to crosssector partnerships for impact.

Bow Seat encourages accessible, creative environmental education for all.

+139% +139% Growth in number of participants since 2020

44,774

IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS

142 142 50 50 44,774 44,774 Countries U.S. States

Students

Artwork: Synapse Jungle by Io Kim (Hightstown, NJ, 2025; Senior, Art: Handcrafted)

$76,250 $76,250 awarded to educators IMPACT

$845,250 $845,250 $80,440 $80,440 awarded to students as a part of the Ocean Awareness Contest awarded in grants to True Blue Fellows & Alumni Grantees

IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS

2025 Ocean Awareness Contest

6,383 6,383 99 99

Participants Up 22% from 2024 Countries

451 451

$67,900 $67,900

Winners across 402 winning submissions Awarded to winners

IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS

14 14 10 10

$21,727 $21,727

FBYC members Countries Awarded in grants 12 12 8 8

$27,666 $27,666 Paid to support their work Fellows Countries

IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS

Bow Seat’s digital platforms remain a vibrant hub for creativity, storytelling, and environmental engagement. Across social media, we connect a global community of young artists, educators, scientists, and advocates passionate about protecting our ocean and planet.

Through curated content, spotlights, and collaborations, we amplify youth voices and spark meaningful dialogue around environmental challenges. Each post helps grow a movement that empowers the next generation of changemakers.

As our community expands, so does the impact of the stories we share - bringing together creativity and conservation across borders The figures below highlight Bow Seat’s digital reach

IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS

33,900+ 33,900+ unique followers

Other Communication Channels

1,694+ 1,694+ unique followers

3,500+ 3,500+ unique followers

1,415+ 1,415+ unique followers 414+ 414+ unique followers

Bow Seat’s newsletter remains a direct line to our global community, sharing curated updates on programs, opportunities, and stories from young ocean advocates. Through bi-weekly issues, it highlights student voices, events, and meaningful ways to stay engaged - fostering a strong sense of connection to our work and its impact.

Bow Seat’s website serves as a central hub for programs, resources, and storytelling. It allows students, educators, and partners to explore opportunities, discover artwork, and engage with our mission - while providing easy access to tools, submissions, and key initiatives.

IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS

Thank You to our Social Media Collaborators

Artwork: Folding City by Taegyoung Shon (Seoul, Republic of Korea, 2025; Senior, Art: Handcrafted)

OCEAN AWARENESS CONTEST

The 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest, Connections to Nature: Looking Inside, Going Outside, challenged participants to explore the natural world and their place in it through the lenses of generational knowledge, resilience, human health, and urban environments.

Through the process of imagining, designing, and creating their pieces, students learned about the nature in their own backyards and reminded us of why it’s so important to protect the planet. From birding in their local watersheds to tracing their families’ land stories, this collection captures the hopes, fears, and immense love these young artists have for the natural world.

Artwork: Nature Keeps Our Memories by Yuuki Ishizaka (San Diego, CA, 2025; Junior, Art: Digital)

OCEAN AWARENESS CONTEST

This year, we recognized 451 winners across 402 winning submissions for their exceptional craftsmanship and adherence to the Contest theme. In total, we awarded $67,900 to Contest winners. While not every winner receives a monetary prize, they are all featured in our online Gallery.

Our 2025 judging team consisted of 88 artists, poets, writers, web designers, dancers, musicians, and more, all highly accomplished in their respective fields. Several of our judges are themselves Contest alumni. This year, we welcomed 14 new judges to the team: Amelia Brown, Julian Iralu, Viktoria Shulevich, Dimitri Suriel, Kathryn Varn, Thaddeus Miles, Ruth O’Mara, Jill Pelto, Aziria Mason, Zeynep Ortaköylüoğlu, Frankie Concepcion, Ryan Chua, Chelsea Zhu, and May Shen.

OCEAN AWARENESS CONTEST

As part of Bow Seat’s long-term effort to increase the diversity of our program participants, we sponsor the We All Rise Prize (WARP), awards totaling $5,000 specifically for youth in the U.S. who selfidentify as Black, Indigenous, and/or Latine. The We All Rise Prize is an initiative to empower and uplift the voices of students who may not have had equitable access to the creative arts due to historic and systematic disinvestment in their communities.

In partnership with poet, spoken word artist, and activist Tayllor Johnson, the Voice of the Sea Award recognizes an outstanding Spoken Word submission in each age division.

OCEAN AWARENESS CONTEST

Smithsonian Creativity in Resilience Award

The Smithsonian Creativity in Resilience Award recognizes pieces that exemplify the Contest sub-theme of Resilience, as selected by a team of judges from the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian’s Life on a Sustainable Planet envisions a future where humanity lives in balance with the natural world.

The IUCN World Conservation Congress is the world’s largest gathering of people working in conservation, where participants connect and set the direction for global conservation efforts. The inaugural Bow Seat World Conservation Congress People's Choice Award is a recognition selected by attendees of the Congress for a piece of art that reflects the spirit of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

OCEAN AWARENESS CONTEST

The Nature Record Author’s Choice Award

The Nature Record is the first holistic assessment of U.S. lands, waters, and wildlife, and the benefits they provide. In alignment with our 2025 Contest theme, Bow Seat partnered with The Nature Record to uplift and amplify the voices of young people in the U.S. highlighting the nature in their own backyards. 27 pieces were personally selected by the authors of the groundbreaking report to connect their scientific findings with real stories about why they matter. Winning pieces will be featured in the final report.

Selected by National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry, the Ocean Soul Award recognizes a visual art submission in each age division whose work captures the “soul” of the ocean.

The Hometown Award is a special, merit-based $100 prize that recognizes eligible participants from our hometown of Boston.

The Bay State Award is a special recognition that celebrates the creative environmental advocates in our home state of Massachusetts.

OCEAN AWARENESS CONTEST

Educator Innovation Award

The Educator Innovation Award (EIA) is a $500 cash prize for teachers or program coordinators who effectively and creatively bring the Ocean Awareness Contest into their classrooms, teaching entire groups of students about environmental issues and empowering them to be stewards of our blue planet.

OCEAN AWARENESS CONTEST

71% 71% of students reported that participating in the 2025 Contest increased their knowledge of environmental issues.

85% 85% reported that creating something for the Contest (i.e., art, writing, music, films, or multimedia) helped them personally connect with conservation topics.

67% 67% stated that it impacted their worldview and behavior.

81% 81% reported that the Contest increased their confidence in their creative skills.

When asked how learning about environmental issues through the Contest made them feel, 62% of students reported feeling more pleasant emotions (inspired, empowered, motivated, hopeful).

These students attributed feeling like they were part of a community, learning about solutions, and gaining a sense of agency as the main reasons for these positive feelings.

OCEAN AWARENESS CONTEST

Participating in the Ocean Awareness Contest gave me the opportunity to express my creativity while addressing a critical global issue. I enjoyed researching the impact of human activity on our oceans and transforming what I learned into a meaningful project. The contest helped me feel like my voice matters and that I can make a difference through art and advocacy. It also inspired me to continue learning about environmental issues and to think more deeply about how I can contribute to positive change.

As I learned more about ocean and environmental issues, I truly felt through the process of creating that I was an active participant in protecting the Earth, which filled me with hope. Painting is my window for self-expression, and through the creation of my competition piece, I experienced a deep connection between my self-awareness, my emotions, and the world around me. I realized that I am part of a shared existence with nature itself, and this realization gave me a profound sense of strength

OCEAN AWARENESS CONTEST

Creation is a journey, and each step brings these young voices closer to making a difference.

Artwork: Window to California Bay by Katelyn Wang (San Jose, CA, 2025; Senior, Art: Digital)

Bow Seat’s Future Blue Youth Council is a diverse, international group of Bow Seat program alumni working together to advance our mission and empower their peers to advocate for our environment. Council members are paid to serve one-year terms as project managers, advisors, and creative idea generators.

Seoul, Republic of Korea

FBYC

The FBYC was first established in 2021. Council members:

Contribute experience, creativity, and insight to inform, advise, and shape Bow Seat’s educational programming

Help expand the reach of Bow Seat’s programs through community outreach, social media, blog writing, and more

Support Bow Seat’s byyouth, for-youth environmental grantmaking program, from reviewing applications to collaborating with projects

Contribute to group initiatives

The 2025 FBYC included many passionate and talented writers! Over the course of the year, Council members wrote several blogs for Bow Seat’s website.

“L.A. Inferno: Heat and Heartbreak” by Gavin Tesser

“Ghost Nets: The Climate and Wildlife Toll of Lost Fishing Gear” by Gerselle Koh

“What Do You Mean the Rivers Went Dry?: Why “Sustainable” Isn’t Enough” by Rafael Bonilla Abad

“Architectural Solutions for Rising Sea Levels in Coastal Cities” by Ziqing Li

“Creatures of Water and Light” by Nethanya Fonseka

“To Death Against Incineration: Sangam-Dong’s Climate Justice Battle” by Jina Song

“Crops in Crises: How Climate Change is Threatening Your Favorite Foods” by Stella Hong

“Climate at the Crossroads: Why Good Governance Is Our Greatest Climate Solution” by Gerselle Koh

“Clay, Code, and Coral – How 3D Printing is Rescuing Coral Ecosystems Worldwide” by Ziqing Li

“The Break Line Between Surf and Sustainability” by Jina Song

“Turning Trash into Environmental Truth” by Gavin Tesser

“When Mangroves Cry” by Rafael Bonilla Abad

“Beyond Pesticides: How Fungi are the Future of Sustainable Agriculture” by Stella Hong

“The Monarch Metamorphosis: Lend a Hand, Save a Wing” by Cynthia Zhang

“Designer Genes: Genetic Engineering on a Changing Planet” by Nethanya Fonseka

“Safeguarding the Environment through Maasai Culture: Frederick” by Jina Song and Purity Busena

“True Blue Fellowship Project Spotlight – FiberFusion: Painting with Plastics for Microplastic Awareness” by Nafisa Marei and Stella Hong

“Environmental ARTivism: How Austin Picinich Fights for Salmon—and his Tips How You Can Lead Your Own Mural Too” by Gavin Tesser, Stella Hong, and Narayani Shankar

“Let Interviews Lead: Environmental Injustice Through Film” by Jina Song

“Voluntourism: An Alternate Way to Travel” by Rafael Bonilla Abad

“Sophie Kim: An Overview of The Clean and Green Initiative” by Rafael Bonilla Abad, Ziqing Li, and Gerselle Koh

“Leading Change through Art in Nepal with Bimochan Pathak” by Rafael Bonilla Abad and Suhani Chadha

2025 FBYC members helped run and develop content for the @future.blue.youth.council Instagram account. In addition to creating visual and text posts, they also developed video content about topics that interested them.

In October 2025, the IUCN World Conservation Congress took place, and Bow Seat youth were invited to create an art piece to be featured on one of its digital totems. Several FBYC members Ziqing, Rafael, Cynthia, Gavin, Purity, and Suhani along with Fellow Alex, took on this design challenge.

The Legend of the Pearl of Purity

What happens when a plastic bottle, a candy wrapper, and a few unlikely friends end up in the ocean? Mariam Paktiawal wrote and designed a comic for young readers, using storytelling to explore ocean pollution and remind us that small actions can help protect something precious.

2025 FBYC Year in Review: Creating Currents for a Future Blue

To commemorate all the work FBYC members did in 2025, they developed a magazine titled Creating Currents for a Future Blue. This magazine captures the wideranging work and accomplishments of our 2025 Council, from writing blogs to collaborating with the Fellows to leading creative projects of their own.

This year with FBYC made me realize environmental activism isn't solitary or defined by borders, but a ripple that grows stronger with every idea, talent, and voice joining the effort.

Jina Song

Sometimes the people you connect with the most are those from across the world. Our shared goals and passions close the physical distance that separates us.

Cynthia Zhang

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Bow Seat for the opportunity to be part of the Future Blue Youth Council. The experience has been both grounding and transformative, offering a rare space where youth perspectives are taken seriously and supported with thoughtful mentorship and care. This experience will continue to shape how I approach my work and how I support other young people in stepping into leadership and policy spaces

Purity Busena

TRUE BLUE FELLOWSHIP

The True Blue Fellowship connects and empowers youth around the world leveraging the creative arts to safeguard the ocean, waterways, and climate. Through seed funding, peer support, and capacity building, the Fellowship follows a trust-based, arts-centered model to uplift youth enacting transformational change in their communities. It is not simply a grant program, it is an incubator for creative environmental leadership worldwide.

In 2025, Bow Seat’s True Blue Fellowship supported 12 young leaders across 8 countries using creativity to advance environmental protection, ocean literacy, and climate justice. From immersive virtual reality documentaries to Indigenous beadwork revival, from children’s books to climate murals, the cohort demonstrated that creativity is not peripheral to environmental work, it is transformative.

TRUE BLUE FELLOWSHIP

Heroes of the Indian Ocean | Tanzania

Create for our Lives | Pakistan

Save our Salmon (SOS) | United States

Paribartan Ko Lagi Kala” (Art for Change) | Nepal

FiberFusion: Merging Art and Scientific Innovation | United States

Diverseas | Indonesia DiveHer | Indonesia

Embracing Maasai Culture to Safeguard Our Environment | Kenya

Blue Days at School | Madagascar Mashujaa Wa Bahari (Ocean Heroes in Swahili) | Kenya

Voice of the Kunar River: A Creative Journey through Climate Change | Afghanistan

The Clean and Green Initiative Environmental Children’s Books & Nature Contest | United States

TRUE BLUE FELLOWSHIP

12 12

Fellows from 9 9

of 12 fellows were from LowMiddle Income Countries)

100,000+ 100,000+

Reached through

Conferences and speaking engagements

Digital platforms, social media, and online modules

Websites, publications, and open-access resources

2,000+ 2,000+

Individuals engaged through School-based programs, workshops, and curricula

Community events and festivals

Exhibitions, panels, and performances

Trainings, mentorship, and leadership programs

800+ 800+

Creative works

Children's books

360° immersive virtual reality

ocean films

Augmented reality lenses

Community murals

Indigenous beadworks

Conservation - themed songs

Art exhibitions

Climate poetry

Educational websites

Scientific illustrations

TRUE BLUE FELLOWSHIP

Cultural Identity Reframed as Environmental Leadership

Fellows strengthened pride in local and Indigenous knowledge, positioning cultural traditions, storytelling, and art as powerful conservation tools.

Eco-Anxiety Transformed into Purposeful Action

The Fellowship helped convert eco-anxiety into agency, determination, and creative expression.

Youth Confidence Elevated from “Participant” to “Leader”

Fellows reported significant growth in leadership capacity managing partnerships, speaking publicly, adapting to challenges, and building scalable initiatives.

Community Ownership Sustained Beyond the Grant Year

Projects generated requests for sustained engagement, including integration in schools, independent club activities, and community-led continuation, signaling lasting impact.

Creative Arts Recognized as a Powerful Tool for Environmental Change

Fellows strengthened recognition that art, immersive media, storytelling, and cultural expression are not supplementary to environmental work they are effective tools for engagement, education, and systems change.

TRUE BLUE FELLOWSHIP

Embracing Maasai Culture to Safeguard Our Environment - Kenya

By Fredrick Kioko Kilonzo

Fredrick’s project positioned Maasai heritage as a conservation methodology, demonstrating that culture and conservation aren't competing values, they're inseparable aspects of Maasai identity and environmental stewardship. Through culturally resonant approaches, including beadwork, storytelling, music, festivals, and hands-on conservation, his initiative transformed environmental action into a community-led cultural movement.

‘’This Fellowship transformed how I see my role: I'm not an expert bringing solutions; I'm a bridge helping communities remember they've been environmental stewards all along. That shift will guide the rest of my career.‘’

Accomplishments

Mobilized culture as conservation action, educating 200+ community members (including 100+ youth) and hosted a three-day Cultural Manyatta and Beadwork Festival with 500+ participants.

Hosted community workshops, crafting 50 environmental-themed beadworks by women artisans, documenting 8 traditional environmental stories from elders, and developing 6 conservation-themed songs adopted by schools and performed at community gatherings. These sessions also served as knowledge-sharing circles discussing environmental challenges and traditional solutions.

Delivered measurable environmental outcomes, planting 750 Indigenous trees with an 85% survival rate, removing 850kg of waste through three major river clean-ups along the Ewaso Ng'iro River system, and establishing three water quality monitoring stations

TRUE BLUE FELLOWSHIP

Diverseas - Indonesia

By Brigitta Gunawan

Brigitta’s project, Diverseas, improved ocean literacy through immersive 360-degree virtual reality filmmaking, workshops, and creative education initiatives that connected people to marine ecosystems and conservation action. Through films of Raja Ampat’s biodiversity and sea turtle conservation, the Blue Roots Scholarship for young women in Bali, in-person workshops, online modules, and a musical drama integrating ocean literacy into schools, she used creative arts to make marine science accessible and actionable.

‘’This experience has inspired me to scale by digging deeper and wider because the solutions to environmental issues may already exist, but the ways in which they are implemented relies on one’s creativity. I am hoping to scale this project to reach more communities and create ways to make it selfsustaining in the long-run.’’

Accomplishments

Produced two 360-degree films on Raja Ampat and sea turtle conservation with openaccess lesson plans for immersive ocean literacy programming and conducted six workshops reaching 200+ participants in 6 cities across three countries, collecting 100+ unique pledges to take action for marine conservation.

Launched a six week hybrid training program for young women in Bali to run workshops in their communities.

Amplified impact globally presenting at 20+ conferences in 8+ countries reaching thousands of people.

Co-developed a musical drama about Indonesia’s marine environment with 80 fifth-grade students.

Produced two 360-degree films of Raja Ampat and sea turtle conservation with openaccess lesson plans for immersive ocean literacy programming.

TRUE BLUE FELLOWSHIP

Voice of the Kunar River: A Creative Journey through Climate Change - Afghanistan

Irshad’s project raised environmental awareness in Kunar Province through creative expression, storytelling, and community engagement. The project helped people emotionally connect with climate change, especially how it affects the Kunar River and those who depend on it. Through poetry readings, storytelling sessions, and youthfocused workshops, he helped transform climate conversations from technical discussions into deeply human, emotional, and community-driven experiences.

‘’The Fellowship strengthened my belief that youth voices and creative expression can drive real environmental awareness and community action‘’

Accomplishments

Reached several hundred community members and over 100 young people through poetry readings, storytelling sessions, and youth-focused workshops that created safe spaces to discuss drought, changing weather patterns, and environmental challenges.

Raised awareness about climate change and water protection in Kunar Province while engaging diverse community members in open dialogue including youth, farmers, and elders.

Empowered young people to use poetry and art as tools for expression and advocacy, demonstrating how creative storytelling can humanize climate change and inspire responsibility.

Artwork: Blurred Boundaries by Sharon Yitong Qian (Orange, CA, 2025; Junior, Interactive & Multimedia)

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS

Every year, Bow Seat participates in numerous conferences, workshops, and exhibitions to spread our work and mission to new audiences. From students to policymakers, we love engaging with people around the world interested in environmentalism, creative advocacy, or both! This year, we debuted a new gel printing workshop, where youth created prints using gel plates and found materials such as leaves, flowers, and bark. We also brought our button-maker far and wide, inviting event attendees to create buttons using art pulled from previous Contest yearbooks.