Caymanian
students and teachers encouraged to apply for current scholarship
offerings available through CCMI

George
Town, Cayman Islands; 22 September 2020
–Despite the disruption of Covid-19, with the Cayman Islands
remaining unavailable to international travellers, CCMI has continued
delivering on its commitment to education and environmental action by
securing funding to facilitate and deliver more than residential
scholarships for programmes at the Little Cayman Research Centre in
2020.

CCMI’s
Ocean Literacy education programme, which began with the Caribbean
Marine Ecology Camp in 2007, has a strong commitment to local
students within the Cayman Islands, linking the institute’s marine
research findings to real time, relevant education opportunities for
primary to tertiary level students.

In
2007, a 10-year grant from the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball
Foundation enabled CCMI to begin their residential education
programme in earnest, providing students the opportunity to stay at a
working marine research station, living alongside scientists who are
researching some of the most pressing issues facing coral reefs
today.

This
year, thanks to funding from Foster’s, Cayman National Bank, R3,
the BODA Charitable Trust, as well as a renewed Edmund F. and
Virginia. B Ball Foundation grant, CCMI will be able to deliver their
Marine Ecology Camps (MEC), Young Environmental Leadership Course
(YELC), and newly developed (2018) Ocean Science Scholar Internships.
Delivery of the courses began over the summer, and CCMI will complete
the scholarship schedule by December 2020, as planned, despite global
disruption.

Whilst
the organization has had to make significant changes at the Little
Cayman Research Centre to accommodate increased social distancing,
the low levels of Covid-19 in Cayman and the permitted travel between
Grand Cayman and Little Cayman, the team are pleased to be able to
continue their scholarship deliverables in the local community.

CCMI’s
Director of Research, Dr Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley, outlines why the
focus on local scholarships is so important to CCMI:

“At
a time when pressure on biodiversity is being felt by us all, coupled
with the recent announcement by the UN that the world has failed to
achieve any of the 2010 climate goals outlined in the Aitchi targets,
it is paramount that we continue to work towards protecting coral
reefs and promote a healthy marine environment for our future social,
economic, and ecological wellbeing.

At
CCMI, we believe the link between research and education is critical
to these efforts. Our current study surveying the ‘quiet oceans’
to see what impact reduced tourism is having on our reefs bridges
this gap through applied research with real world impact that will
result in significant educational content. Engaging Caymanian
students with this research, as well our work on restoration and
ecological adaptation, enables us to combine incredibly topical and
important marine research with local education. Real conservation
begins with understanding what we are striving to protect. We
strongly believe that every young Caymanian should have the
opportunity to learn about the marine environment that surrounds
them. Providing scholarships is key to achieving this goal.”

As
one of the R3 scholars to attend a one-week residential programme
with CCMI in August as an Ocean Science Scholar, Jovian and had this
to say about the experience, "(The course) changes how you look
at the world and how much humans have affected it."

Whilst
CCMI has had to amend courses and reduce the capacity to host 16+
class sizes, the team is on target to deliver a busy year for local
ocean literacy activity. Several scholarships are still available for
programmes that will take place before the end of the calendar year.

Teachers
for years 5 and 6 in government schools are currently encouraged to
apply for a fully-funded 3-day Marine Ecology Course for their
classes. Two classes from across the Cayman Islands will be awarded
the scholarships for this experience courtesy of BODA Trust.
Applications for classes to be considered are being accepted through
14 October 2020.

In
addition, CCMI is seeking up to six Caymanian students for the YELC
programme, which is supported by Foster’s and Cayman National. This
programme is for students ages 15-19, and it focuses on creating
enthusiastic ambassadors for the ocean. During the programme,
participants will receive dive certifications; they will then spend a
week in Little Cayman at CCMI to put their new diving skills to
practice, continue learning about marine science, and work on
building a resume while also practicing important interview skills.
The deadline to apply for this programme is Monday, 5 October 2020.

For more information about CCMI, the YELC opportunity, and other education programmes available at CCMI, visit www.reefresearch.org or email info@reefresearch.org.

ABOUT CCMI

CCMI
is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 to protect the
future of coral reefs, envisioning a world with vibrant oceans and
healthy coral reef ecosystems. We seek to be the Caribbean’s
premier marine research institute by delivering cutting edge
research, transforming conservation strategy and developing education
programmes of excellence – discovering and promoting real solutions
to declining ocean health. Our plan is to invigorate key species and
understand key ocean processes that drive reef resilience. We support
early career scientists who are INNOVATING ways to improve coral reef
health. We are TRANSFORMING conservation strategy and work to inspire
the CHANGE that is needed to achieve our mission. CCMI are PIONEERS
in the region working to reverse the declines of coral reefs.

PHOTOS: Thanks to the R3 Cayman Foundation, CCMI was able to offer scholarships to Caymanian students to attend the week-long Caribbean Marine Ecology Camp in Au