O'Neill Sea Odyssey Announces Winners of the Fall 2014 Ocean Steward Art Contest

O’Neill Sea Odyssey (OSO) and its Board of Directors are proud to announce the winners of the fall 2014 Ocean Steward Art Contest. Victoria Preciado (grade 5), of El Granada Elementary in Half Moon Bay, CA, is the grand prize winner.

“It delivers a visual and verbal message that speaks from the ‘ocean’s’ side of things – not our side,” said Mike McCabe, OSO Board Member.

Victoria and her teacher, Laurie McMahon, will each receive passes for a one-hour public sail aboard the Team O’Neill catamaran.

In honor of Victoria Preciado and her award winning piece, “Care for the Ocean,” O’Neill Sea Odyssey will present an enlarged mounted copy of the artwork to both El Granada Elementary and Comerica Bank, who provided funding for Miss McMahon’s class.

The three honorable mention winners include: Jazmin Sofia Zilla (grade 5), of El Granada Elementary; Naomi Naito (grade 5) of El Granada Elementary; and and Molly Berman (grade 4) of Vine Hill Elementary in Scotts Valley, CA.

These four students will all receive recognition through OSO’s web blog, social media and quarterly newsletter. Their artwork will also be exhibited in the OSO classrooms.

About the Ocean Steward Art Contest

The Ocean Steward Art Contest is an opportunity for students in grades 4-6, who have participated in the O’Neill Sea Odyssey program, to creatively interpret the watershed, marine and/or stewardship themes learned while attending OSO.

The contest is held twice annually, both in the fall and in the spring, and encourages students to further consider the lessons and experiences of the program. Additionally, it is an opportunity for OSO and its Board to connect with, recognize and award the stewardship efforts of the students, teachers, schools and communities.

To learn more go to: www.oneillseaodyssey.org/blog.

About O’Neill Sea Odyssey

O’Neill Sea Odyssey was incorporated in 1996 by wetsuit innovator and surfer Jack O’Neill as a nonprofit organization to provide unique ecology, navigation, and marine science learning experiences to regional students in grades 4-6.

Since this time, more than 75,000 students have participated in the three-hour, hands-on learning program aboard the 65-foot Team O’Neill catamaran in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and follow-up lessons in the Education Center at the Santa Cruz Harbor.

The program is free to students, however, each participating class is required to perform a community service project. The primary purpose of the program is to foster awareness of environmental stewardship and personal responsibility among program participants.

This is done by delivering an interactive curriculum that emphasizes the connections between land and sea through a multi-disciplinary approach including ecology, biology, and mathematics.

--Info and image courtesy of O’Neill Sea Odyssey.

Images:

Care for the Ocean- by Victoria Preciado

Pools- Naomi Naito

Deep Sea Creatures-Molly Berman

Living Clean-Living Together - Jazmin Sofia Zilla