Please Help Send Students to DEEP!

Kristin Evans is organizing this fundraiser.

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Through the generous support of the Booth & Beyer Travel Grant from the John Thomas Dye School, I was able to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams of visiting South Africa during the summer of 2019 in search of the Great White shark and sharing my love of marine science and the ocean with others.

During my three weeks working as an International Marine Volunteer with the award-winning Marine Dynamics group, in Gansbaai, South Africa, I was able to educate others about marine animals, help change the perspectives about this apex predator, and share my knowledge of ocean conservation with guests. I also worked shifts aboard two eco-tour boats and in the penguin sanctuary, participated in ocean conservation projects, and assisted during a shark experience with local school aged children, who are part of the organization's educational program, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust Environmental Education Program (DEEP).

Throughout this adventure, I stepped out of my comfort zone, took chances, pushed some boundaries, and experienced exceptional personal growth. I was fortunate enough to meet many people in all areas of this organization, and learned about all the incredible work they do within shark research, environmental education, and ocean conservation. As a teacher myself, I felt drawn and connected to experience what the educational program was all about and I wanted to learn everything I could about this aspect of the organization.

To start, this educational program, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust Environmental Education Program (DEEP) was a result of Marine Dynamics (Great White Shark Cage Diving), Dyer Island Cruises (Eco-Tour/Whale Watching), and the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. The Dyer Island Trust has many environmental projects operating under their supervision and support, including the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, and DEEP, the environmental education program for local children in the Gansbaai community.

This educational program was born from an small eco-club that met to do beach clean-ups, to becoming a three year long educational program for students to attend weekly, which culminates with a graduation upon completion. To begin, students apply by submitting a motivational letter about why they want to be a part of the program and once accepted, they spend the next three years working on various environmental projects together. This includes presenting to their school and teachers on Environment Day to bring awareness about marine pollution, participating in community projects at their school (monitoring water usage, trash clean ups, wildlife monitoring, etc.), practicing their leadership and public speaking skills, and taking part in various experiential classes and activities in their local community of Gansbaai. Students who participate in this program meet once a week, receive home visits with their parents to discuss their academic progress at school, study and learn English, build their confidence for public speaking and using their voice to advocate for themselves and the environment, learn basic life skills and etiquette, healthy lifestyle options including foods/drinks, and are able to take part in new experiences outside of classrooms in the real world. These students take trips to the rocky shores to meet, measure, and learn about smaller shark species, and conduct beach clean ups and analyze the collections and source of the trash, to name some activities. They also take a highly anticipated field trip to nearby Cape Town to visit the Two Oceans Aquarium each year. This program goes beyond marine science education, and aims to educate the whole child. DEEP is fully committed to enriching the lives of these children and providing them with life changing experiences and skills for the real world.

During my time with the organization, I was able to go on a shark fishing trip with the Marine Dynamics Interns when some students from DEEP were going to be there, and I was eager to meet them and see what their experience would be like. The Interns were able to catch a few small sharks, and the students had the opportunity to touch, measure, and ask questions about the sharks. To see their excitement and interest in the sharks, and know that this was the first time they’d ever seen a shark up close and personal, made it a very special experience for everyone. The students were engaged, intrigued, and curious about everything. It made me think back to many experiences I’ve had throughout my life, and how precious these hands on opportunities can be.

Now I’m back in Los Angeles, pouring my heart back into my role as a Kindergarten teacher, all while a piece of my heart remains in Gansbaai. I’d love nothing more than to help raise funds for an organization I hold so dear to me, and to help the children of DEEP have more of these educational experiences, all of which will truly change their lives. My goal is to raise enough money to help send at least 10 students to DEEP this year!

Below is the budget per child/per year and what your donation will specifically help to fund.

Thank you so much in advance for your consideration and support!

PLEASE NOTE: I will be personally responsible for delivering these funds raised through GoFundMe to the Manager of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, Pinkey Ngewu. Upon transfer, I will post an update stating that the funds have been successfully transferred.

See below for some photos of students in DEEP during one of their outings to the rocky shores:

Marine Dynamics Volunteer Coordinator, Ettiene, teaches students from DEEP about smaller shark species and why we gather and monitor data about these sharks.

Students from DEEP measure the sharks during the catch and release fishing trip.

Students from DEEP are able to observe, touch, and learn about smaller shark species during our fishing trip.

*All sharks were unharmed and released upon data collection.