3 min read
Aug 8, 2024
Over the last decade, young climate changemakers have made huge impacts to address local and global environmental issues (UNICEF). Ocean Diagnostics’ own youth ambassador, Zoe Yeung, is following in their footsteps as an advocate for microplastic research and education.
Zoe is a Grade 12 student and Founder and Executive Director of Odaqua, a registered youth-led non-profit organization that empowers youth and their circle of influence to spread awareness and seek solutions to plastic pollution and ocean health. Using the Microplastics Community Science and Educational Toolkits, Zoe now engages her peers, community and other students in learning about microplastics and collecting real-world, applicable data to help inform solutions.
What inspired you to tackle microplastics in your community?
It was my grade 9 summer. I was always outdoors, and it was so hot outside, so [my cousin and I] would go to the beach. I just noticed there are lots of different kinds of foam pieces on the beach, and I thought “Oh, what is this?” I noticed that [ocean health] is something that I'm interested in. I wanted to look into it because this is something that not a lot of my friends are talking about... I don't see this in my community and wanted to do something.
That’s so awesome! Which beach were you at?
We were mostly at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver.
Amazing. Why do you think it's important that others learn about microplastics?
I think that microplastics are a great way to introduce [waste management] into the community and to educate [others] because it's something that not a lot of people talk about. People talk about plastic bottles or plastic straws, and that's something that's polarized a lot, especially on social media and in different trends, especially during COVID. Talking about [plastic pollution] through the lens of microplastics is a unique way to make people think. It connects many of these bigger issues like how much waste we're producing and how we can take it out of our waters and our environment.
Why do you think it's important to collect data about microplastics and plastic pollution?
Data collection is so important, especially for change makers, people in power and different kinds of advocates advocating for change. Data is a big part of convincing people and showing that [microplastics] is a real issue. [Data] helps a lot of researchers and other people in our industry look at [plastic pollution] and use this data to bring forth issues of plastic pollution and microplastics in our environment.
What made you want to use the Microplastics Educational Toolkit for your workshop?
We wanted to make sure that the materials were well thought out, and everything was in place so that there [wasn't] confusion on how to use [the Toolkit]. The Toolkit helped when we were doing our mock sampling at our workshop. We weren't at a beach, and we couldn't bring a beach into the school, so having the Toolkit and doing a mock sampling was helpful because it kids could envision being at a beach; this is what we can do. We need this number of tools and can do it ourselves. The Toolkit helped organize the process. We had some volunteers from [Odaqua] come out and help with the process, but not everybody was super familiar with using the Toolkit. It was very straightforward.
I’m so glad to hear that! We wanted to make sure it was simple so that anyone could use it. What was your experience using the Kit with students?
It really depended on the age of the students. The kindergarten students and younger grades were really involved. With the older grades...having something hands-on was great. We initially started talking about the concept of microplastics, why we sample them, and why collecting data is important. Having the [mock sampling] right after helped them put what they're imagining from their heads into their hands. The hands-on work helps bring their ideas to life.
How much time did you get with each group?
We had quite a bit of time. About 50 minutes for the presentation and the hands-on activities together, but we had groups of 50, so we had to split them up.
That's a lot of students—fantastic job! What knowledge did you hope the students gained from the workshop?
I talked with the Odaqua team, and we wanted kids to understand or at least find curiosity in microplastics and how [microplastics] connect to the real world. So, taking the things we learn in classrooms or this workshop and applying them to our everyday lives.
Did you talk about how plastic waste affects the local environment?
We talked about waste management and the effects of our waste management, more specifically in Vancouver, so that they could have a better idea of [the impacts]. For kindergarteners, we talked more about waste management, but when we got to the older grades, we went more in-depth with what microplastics are.
Are there any workshop highlights you want to share?
We were introducing the microplastic sampling during the presentation, and a student raised their hand and asked, 'Where can I do this? Where can I do this?' That was a special memory I'll carry because we didn't even finish the presentation, and the student was excited to get involved. I'm glad they found interest in it, especially because, usually in these workshops in schools, not many kids are engaged. I think using those hands-on activities, like the mock sampling and showing Saturna, really caught a lot of kids' interest, and they wanted to help. That was a highlight.
Wrapping Up
Educating students on the impacts of plastic pollution and microplastics is an impactful way to inspire action in the classroom and at home. Having peers and youth ambassadors like Zoe lead microplastics workshops is a way of engaging students so they can be inspired to tackle an environmental problem right in their community. Using the Microplastics Community Science and Educational Toolkits is a great place to start.