In July 2025, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation participated in Peace Boat US’s Youth for the SDGs program as part of Peace Boat’s 120th Global Voyage, helping to train an international cohort of young leaders traveling through the Caribbean and Latin America on sustainability, ocean literacy, and global citizenship.
We joined the voyage beginning in Jamaica, where the Foundation’s COO & Education Director, Amy Heemsoth, served as a guest educator for Peace Boat US. The program opened with immersive field experiences at the University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory (UWI DBML), where youth engaged in marine science education, citizen science water-quality monitoring, snorkeling over seagrass beds and coral reefs, and hands-on learning through touch tank activities. A highlight of the Jamaica portion of the trip was a collaborative mangrove restoration and conservation workshop in Salt Marsh, where students learned about mangrove ecology, removed marine debris, and planted propagules to support regeneration of this vital coastal habitat. Participants also took part in a cultural exchange at the Rastafari Indigenous Village near Montego Bay, exploring sustainability through community traditions, food systems, music, and Indigenous knowledge.
As the voyage continued at sea, the Living Oceans Foundation contributed to onboard education through guest lectures on coral reef ecosystems, climate change, and ocean conservation, while youth participated in multilingual dialogue, human rights discussions, and collaborative learning with fellow passengers and guest experts. The program emphasized Peace Boat’s model as a “floating campus,” fostering intercultural exchange and systems thinking across disciplines and nationalities.
Upon arrival in Panama, youth engaged in youth-led workshops, cultural exchanges, and collaborative problem-solving with partners at UNEP and UNDP, participated in environmental education at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and continued citizen science monitoring to compare coastal water quality across regions. The program concluded with exchanges led by Indigenous youth and regional organizations, reinforcing the role of community-based leadership in sustainable development.
The Living Ocean Foundation’s participation strengthened our partnership with Peace Boat US and advanced its commitment to ocean literacy, youth empowerment, and international collaboration. The voyage demonstrated how experiential learning, science education, and cultural exchange can work together to prepare young leaders to address complex ocean and climate challenges through informed, inclusive, and community-centered action.
