A Note From Our Executive Director...

As we head into the holiday season and the year's end, we at SeaSmart wanted to share all that we are thankful for.

We have been so fortunate to interact with so many wonderful people and to share some amazing experiences in 2022!

None of this would be possible without our amazing volunteer team. I am so grateful to those you see in classrooms, at events and on trips, as well as those "behind the scenes" making everything we do possible.

Our goal is to share the love of the ocean and its inhabitants to create ocean advocates who will #protectwhatyoulove. Thankfully, we have been able to "touch" 100's of students and adults in 2022.

Via...

Classroom, Club and Community Engagements  

SeaSmart is so appreciative to have been invited to numerous class, scout, club and community events. We have held engaging and interactive workshops for a variety of participants, both in-person and online. Our conservation courses have lead to SeaSmart Advocate and PADI certifications as well.

Experiential Trips  

This year's Baja program gave so much in so many ways. First, our growing "family" of incredible partners - scientists, conservationists, boat captains and dive professionals - provide such rich contributions to our participants' experiences and are a true gift.

Second, our inaugural adult/mermaid week was a great success! Participants joined together, most not knowing anyone else, and shared an incredible adventure. We already have some of those participants signed up for next summer's trip to Roatan. I was admittedly a bit nervous about having an adult-only week, but I am thrilled to say we plan to "keep it going!" One of our participants in the adult week wrote a blog about his experience for his dive club. We are so thankful that our SeaSmart alumni "get" what SeaSmart programs are all about! (And thank you, Joe, for your kind words!)

Third, I am so very appreciative that as a result of our generous donors and partners, we were able to offer three scholarships for our student program in Baja last July. Our goal is to continue to expand our offerings for all students with interest, regardless of their background, economic means or demographic. We will be posting a "shout out of thanks" to our donors shortly on our website, but to date, here's who we wish to thank:

Starfish Donors ($50+)

David Craft

Nella Craft

Jane McConnell

Darryl & Laura Pollica

Erin Rigney

Paula & Rich St. Van

Liz Szabla

Sea Turtle Donors ($100+)

Lisa & John Bart

Marianne Brassil

Stephanie Craft

Amy Faucher

Otis Gospodnetic

Eva Paredes

William Parsons

Carolyn & Frank Vallario

Marcia Wholf

State Street Bank Employee Match

Dolphin Donors ($150+)

Joe & Diane Murphy

Manta Ray Donors ($250+)

Daniel Craft

Tony Newlin

Joel & Jennifer Sendek

Monica Quinn

Great White Shark Donors ($500+)

Patti & Chris Gallagher

Lisa & Rob McIntyre

Maxim Partners

Smart City Kids

Additional donations:

Heidi Conlin

Tamar Rothstein

Beth Rowe

Diane Sales

Danielle Shupe

Know that your contributions have had a true impact on our student scholarship recipients, and the future of our blue earth. You can hear from some of them:

Join this amazing group by making a donation. No donation is too small!

A Wonderful Holiday Gift For Sharks!

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) guides nations across the world on how to protect threatened species by regulating and monitoring their trade. It establishes a framework for countries to cooperate with each other to ensure that plant and animal species aren't depleted by international demand.

This past November, CITES awarded 54 species of shark increased protections: Sawfishes (7 Species), Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, Scalloped, Smooth and Great Hammerhead Sharks. We are so grateful to see this progress in shark conservation!

What Better Gift Than An Adventure...

Experiences are the new in-demand gifts. We sell out the student/family and adult-only weeks every year, so don't wait to register and send in a fully refundable deposit to hold one of each week's 12 spots!

We will again offer a scholarship opportunity, thanks to our generous donors. Stay tuned for the application to open January 2023!

Alumni Spotlight 

Reese N., adventured with us to Utila, Honduras where she gained her Open Water certification. She has begun her freshman year in High School, where she has started an Ocean Conservation Club at school. In fact, this month SeaSmart had the opportunity to conduct a shark conservation workshop virtually with the club. We look forward to contributing to more educational opportunities for the club's students in the future and wish her and her classmates a great future learning about the ocean.

Speaking of Holiday Shopping...

We have a wonderful opportunity for you to support SeaSmart when you shop on Amazon. AmazonSmile is a program that donates 0.5% of your eligible purchases on Amazon to SeaSmart. It's the same products, at the same prices-with no cost to you!

All you need to do is start your shopping at smile.amazon.com. (You do have to use this link when shopping from a computer, so you may want to bookmark the SeaSmart shopping link.)  Or use the link below to get started! 

If you use the Amazon App on your phone,  simply open the app and find ’Settings’ in the main menu (☰). Tap on ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile, and benefit SeaSmart, on your phone.

Every little bit helps, so thanks for supporting SeaSmart with this small step! 

Opportunities for SeaSmart to Help Educators: 

SeaSmart Swag: New Styles Added!  

The new Protect What You Love style is available on our super cool sweatshirts, and long & short sleeved T's. Choose from a variety of sizes and colors with proceeds going toward the 2023 Diversity Scholarship. Every ocean lover will want one! 

Don't Worry If You Have Missed Past Newsletters  

SeaSmart's monthly newsletters are available on our website.  You can catch up on all of the cool info and opportunities here: