Announcing 2021 Science Without Borders® Challenge Semi-finalists

Announcing 2021 Science Without Borders® Challenge Semi-finalists – Ages 15-19

March 25, 2021

Written by Amy Heemsoth

Two days ago, we announced the semi-finalists of the 2021 Science Without Borders® Challenge for students participating in the 11-14 year old category. Today, we are thrilled to announce the semi-finalists in the older group of students 15-19 years of age.

This international student art contest engages students in important marine science and conservation issues through art. The theme of this year’s challenge is “The Magic of Mangroves,” and students were asked to illustrate one or more of the benefits mangroves provide to people, other organisms, or the environment. They did not disappoint.

Once again, our judges were put to the test to make some incredibly difficult decisions evaluating the almost 330 pieces of artwork entered in this category. They came to a consensus to include 34 of these entries as semi-finalists. Like with the younger semi-finalists group, students used a variety of styles, techniques and media to portray the importance of mangroves. Some students created artwork that illustrates mangroves in their local community, while others drew inspiration from far off places. Overall, students in this category ranged from 13 different countries.

We would now like to invite you to meet our 15-19 year old semi-finalists:

Semi-finalists – Ages 15-19

"The Growth of Hope" by Rachel Chen, Age 16, Indonesia

"Mangrove, Earth´s Tree of Life" by Ana Bastos, Age 17, Brazil

"Plethora" by Hara Choi, Age 17, Republic of Korea

"The Heart of the Mangrove Forests" by Catherine Chen, Age 15, New Jersey, United States of America

"The Tree of Life" by Anouschka Bechtolsheim, Age 16, California, United States of America

"Protective Wings of Mangroves" by Lesana Behanova, Age 15, Slovakia

"The Guardians of the Sea" by Sharon Choi, Age 16, California, United States of America

"Mother Mangrove" by Gillian Glessman, Age 17, Virginia, United States of America

"The Magic of Mangroves" by Chien-Hui Stella Chuang, Age 16, Taiwan, Province of China

"Tiny Cage" by Ravan Ghautsi Faraja, Age 15, Indonesia

"The Beauty of Mangroves" by Vincent Herndon, Age 16, California, United States of America

"Her Future" by Katherine Hollingworth, Age 16, South Africa

"Mother's Lullaby" by Lindsay Hur, Age 16, Massachusetts, United States of America

"In Our Coexistence" by Wei-An Jin, Age 17, New Jersey, United States of America

"To See Her Truth" by Reeda Huda, Age 16, Kuwait

"Protective Line of Life" by Yeojin Kim, Age 15, China

"The Shelter of the Ocean" by Yisoo Kim, Age 17, Republic of Korea

"Purify" by Yumin Kim, Age 18, Massachusetts, United States of America

"Mangrove Purifier" by Chaeeun Lee, Age 17, Massachusetts, United States of America

"Roots of the Sea" by Andrew Park, Age 16, California, United States of America

"Our Mangrove Earth" by Grace Lee, Age 15, Republic of Korea

"Mangroves: Humble, Strong, Essential" by Daye Kwon, Age 18, Arkansas, United States of America

"Mother Mangrove" by Semin Haley Park, Age 17, Georgia, United States of America

"Paradise Held" by Bethan Rogers, Age 17, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

"Man in the Mangroves" by Athena Wilson, Age 16, California, United States of America

"Within the Mangrove" by Elizabeth Shepard, Age 16, Florida, United States of America

"Stop, Let's Preserve Our Mangroves" by Michelle Yang, Age 16, California, United States of America

"The Harmony of Mangrove Forest" by Dain Yoon, Age 18, Republic of Korea

"Newborns Nursery" by Eugenia Sung, Age 15, Republic of Korea

"Living in Mangroves" by Aurora Zhang, Age 19, China

"The Future of Mangroves" by Laura Zhang, Age 16, Australia

"Miracle in Silence" by Zakia Zulfany, Age 18, Indonesia

"Mangrove Ornament" by Olesya Bublikova, Age 15, Ukraine

Judging will resume once we have received the original artwork from the semi-finalists. Due to COVID-19, judging may take a little longer this year. We appreciate everyone’s patience during this time.

After the Storm: Standing with Our J.A.M.I.N. Family in Jamaica

There are moments in this work that feel heartbreakingly familiar.

Two weeks after we completed our Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) programming, Hurricane Melissa made landfall. A powerful Category 5 hurricane, Melissa is now tied with Hurricane Allen in 1980 for the strongest winds ever recorded in an Atlantic storm. Like Hurricane Dorian, which devastated The Bahamas in 2019, Melissa will be remembered as one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the region.

For 11 years, the University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory and William Knibb Memorial High School have been more than program partners. They have welcomed us into their classrooms and labs, shared meals and laughter, and committed themselves to educating their students about mangroves and coastal resilience. These colleagues and students are not distant collaborators. They are family.

And they were hit hard…

B.A.M. Turns 10: A Year of Milestones, Resilience, and Growth

The 2025–2026 academic year was one of those defining years for our Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.A.M.) and Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) programs. It was a year marked by celebration, challenge, growth, and powerful full-circle moments, and a reminder of why mangrove education matters.

In The Bahamas, B.A.M. reached a major milestone: ten years of partnership and environmental education in Abaco. Since 2015, in collaboration with Friends of the Environment, we have worked alongside Patrick J. Bethel High School and Forest Heights Academy to bring hands-on mangrove science into classrooms and into the field. This year, we were proud to expand the program to S.C. Bootle High School, increasing access for students who live…

Semi-finalists – Ages 15-19

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