A Workshop on Making Outreach Engaging

YSCS members at a workshop run by Blue Marine Foundation this past Saturday.

By Alan Munro, Founder & Director at Young Sea Changers Scotland

There's something incredibly rewarding about seeing young people step up and share the issues they care about with others. That's exactly how I felt at a recent youth outreach and engagement workshop in Edinburgh, where nine young people were introduced to new educational resources developed by the Blue Marine Foundation to help raise awareness of Scotland's marine environment and why it deserves stronger protection.

The session was led by Sean Flinn, Scotland Outreach & Engagement Officer at the Blue Marine Foundation. One of the key themes of the workshop was what makes an effective engagement session; participants discussed how to communicate marine conservation in ways that are accessible, relevant and engaging for different audiences. Sean also shared practical guidance on planning and delivering workshops, encouraging discussion, communicating clearly and creating space for participants to ask questions and share their own feedback.

A highlight of the day was seeing the enthusiasm and creativity that the young people brought to the conversations, as well as their willingness to step outside their comfort zones to stand up in front of the group to deliver a one-minute talk on a marine topic of their choice (no easy thing!)

Scotland's seas support an extraordinary diversity of wildlife and habitats, yet many continue to face growing pressures. By equipping young people with the knowledge, confidence and resources to speak about these issues with other young people, workshops like this help build a network of passionate advocates who can inspire others to care about our marine environment.

I look forward to seeing how they use these new skills and resources to spark conversations and action in their schools, communities and beyond.

If you'd like to get involved in raising awareness of Scotland's marine environment, check out the resources on the Scotland Ocean Observatory webpage or contact Sean Flinn at sean@bluemarinefoundation.com.