11th Hour Racing announces new grantees for World Oceans Day

Billion Oyster Project utilizes the harbor as its classroom. The organization's middle school programming puts students at the center of the movement to restore oysters to New York City waters. Billion Oyster Project's middle school program is currently i © Robina Taliaferrow / Billion Oyster Project

11th Hour Racing announced today seven grantees focused on restoring ocean health in the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Funded by The Schmidt Family Foundation, 11th Hour Racing's grant program is committed to mobilizing the sailing, marine, and coastal communities to create systemic change for the health of our oceans.

"This round of grantees represents an exciting and diverse approach to addressing ocean health issues -- from practical solutions in ecosystem restoration to research on microplastic pollution generated by the marine industry to education initiatives aimed at creating a new cohort of ocean stewards in the sailing and coastal communities," said Rob MacMillan, 11th Hour Racing Co-Founder. "With this round of funding, we've now given more than 100 grants to 78 organizations since 2013. We are thrilled to support the work of these amazing groups."

11th Hour Racing grant funding supports projects that focus on:
- Supporting and promoting solutions that Reduce Ocean Pollution;
- Fostering Ocean Literacy and Stewardship amongst sailing and coastal communities;
- Advancing Clean Technologies and Best Practices that reduce the environmental impact of the sailing industry and maritime communities;
- Tackling the effects of Climate Change and Water Quality Issues through ecosystem restoration.
- This new round of grantees includes the following organizations (listed in alphabetical order):

Billion Oyster Project (New York, NY, USA - New Grant - 2019 and 2020)
This grant will enable Billion Oyster Project to support oyster reef restoration and public education programs at the Bush Terminal Park lagoons, adding 135,000 oysters and 230 square feet of reef habitat while testing a new restoration technique. Additionally, students in the Aquaculture Program at the New York Harbor School, a public high school on Governors Island, will spawn and grow oysters in the lab, build the reef, and monitor its growth.

BLAKE (Auckland, New Zealand - New Grant - 2019 and 2020)
With this grant, BLAKE (formerly the Sir Peter Blake Trust) will create and implement a week-long residential program for young sailors to learn about the marine ecosystem and human environmental impacts. Topics will include climate change, marine and island biodiversity, marine technology, and yacht club sustainability with an overall goal of fostering environmental stewardship amongst youth in New Zealand.

BLAKE will create and implement a week-long residential program for young sailors to learn about the marine ecosystem and human environmental impacts. - photo © BLAKE

Fauna and Flora International (Cambridge, United Kingdom - New Grant - 2019 and 2020)
Through this grant, Fauna & Flora International will investigate how much microplastic pollution enters waterways from the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) in the marine industry and sailing communities. Researchers will also identify potential solutions and recommendations to inform broader interventions by businesses, NGOs, and policymakers on the use of this material.

LifeSail (Los Angeles, CA, USA - New Grant - 2019 and 2020)
This grant will enable LifeSail, which serves more than 350 students ages 5-18, to expand its year-round STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) sailing and boat-building programming. The organization focuses on underserved youth, providing them with the tools and resources to develop self-confidence, learn team building, and improve social skills in a recreational setting, while also encouraging hands-on, real-world explorations of STEM topics and environmental stewardship.

newportFILM (Newport, RI, USA - Renewed Grant - 2019 and 2020)
This grant will empower newportFILM to screen three documentary films and host educational showings for schoolchildren with the goal of raising awareness of current ocean and coastal threats, as well as the impacts of climate change. These highly popular, free public events reach thousands of people and host panel discussions with experts in the field, local groups addressing the issue, and the filmmakers.

Treasure Island Sailing Center (San Francisco, CA, USA - New Grant - 2019 and 2020)
This grant will enable Treasure Island Sailing Center to implement a new, five-day STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program for 360 5th grade students from San Francisco Title 1 public schools. The students will also learn about water quality and create a student-led action plan to encourage other students to become stewards of the San Francisco Bay watershed.

Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County (Vero Beach, FL, USA - Renewed Grant - 2019 and 2020)
This grant will empower the Youth Sailing Foundation to continue its partnership with the Ocean Research and Conservation Association to develop two new living shorelines on the Indian River Lagoon. Students will help build and monitor these natural breakwaters, learning about the benefits of preserving and improving water quality in the lagoon along with preventing erosion and restoring coastal ecosystems.

For more information on 11th Hour Racing's grant-making strategy and application process visit 11thhourracing.org/apply