NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program

OMB Control No. 0690-0038

Expiration Date: 07/31/2026

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: The collection of this information is authorized under 5 U.S.C. § 301, Departmental regulations which authorizes the operations of an executive agency, including the creation, custodianship, maintenance and distribution of records, and 15 U.S.C. 1512, Powers and duties of Department.

Purpose: NOAA is collecting applications from individuals ages 13-18 for the Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program.

Routine Uses: The information collected will be used to determine applicant eligibility and qualifications for the NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program. Disclosure of this information is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a) to be shared among Department staff for work-related purposes. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice COMMERCE/DEPT-23, Information Collected Electronically in Connection with Department of Commerce Activities, Events, and Programs.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary; however, failure to provide some or all of this information may remove the applicant from consideration for this program.

Public Burden Statement

A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with an information collection subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 unless the information collection has a currently valid OMB Control Number. The approved OMB Control Number for this information collection is 0690-0038. Without this approval, we could not conduct this information collection. Public reporting for this information collection is estimated to be approximately 15 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information collection. All responses to this information collection are voluntary. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Claire Fackler at claire.fackler@noaa.gov.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program

Application

Background Information

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is committed to building and strengthening efforts to share the agency’s mission with youth through outreach and education programs to increase awareness of NOAA careers and opportunities. The Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program will allow the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to cultivate, connect, and activate youth changemakers between the ages of 13-18 that support a thriving sanctuary system that protects our nation’s underwater treasures and inspires momentum for a healthy ocean.

Application Deadline: [insert date]

If you have any questions, please reach out to sanctuary.education@noaa.gov.

First Name: ______________________________

Last Name: ______________________________

Nickname or name you preferred to be called: ______________________________

Email Address: ______________________________

Age (the age you are right now as you apply)

• 13 years old

• 14 years old

• 15 years old

• 16 years old

• 17 years old

• 18 years old

The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is striving to inspire the next generation of youth interested in ocean conservation and stewardship and are committed to broadening the participation of youth historically and currently underrepresented in the environmental field. Please note that this information is voluntary and will not be used to determine eligibility for the program.

Gender: (Select all that apply)

• Female

• Male

• Transgender, non-binary, or another gender

Ethnicity:

• Hispanic or Latino

• Not Hispanic or Latino

Race (optional or select one or more, regardless of ethnicity):

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

• White

Do you identify with any of the following groups that the federal government, in Executive Order 13985, has identified as underserved? Check all that apply.

• Members of religious minorities

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons

• Persons with disabilities

• Persons who live in rural areas

• Persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

• No, I do not identify with any of these groups.

Level of Education:

• Middle School

• High School

• Other

Parent Email Address: ______________________________

Mailing addresses are being collected to be able to ship completion certificates, and stickers, as well as to match you up with other youth ambassadors in your region and with local NOAA staff to act as mentors.

Street Address: ______________________________

City: ______________________________

State: ______________________________

Zip Code: ______________________________

Have you been involved in the NOAA Ocean Guardian School Program? (Note you do not have to be part of an Ocean Guardian School to apply.) (Not required)

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

If you have been involved in the NOAA Ocean Guardian School Program, please share the name of the school.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

In 3-5 sentences, provide previous experience volunteering for environmental causes or organizations that you would like to share. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

In 3-5 sentences, tell us why you want to be a NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador?

______________________________________________________________________

In 3-5 sentences, explain your interest in ocean conservation and stewardship.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What topics are you interested in?

• Climate Change

• Blue Carbon

• Ocean Acidification

• Overfishing

• Plastic Pollution

• Biodiversity

• Marine protected areas

• Conservation

• Environmental education and outreach

• Recreation in marine environments

• Other:

In 3-5 sentences, share what you think are some of the greatest challenges currently facing the ocean and/or Great Lakes and why you are excited to be a part of the solution.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What skills would you like to gain from the Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program? Please select no more than five options.

• Knowledge of marine science

• How to build climate resilience

• Speaking and giving presentation

• Expand knowledge

• Educate others

• Organization

• Leadership

• Problem solving

• Time management

• Teamwork

• Gain different perspectives

• How to lead a group project on a large scale

• Gain knowledge about issues facing the ocean

• Not sure where to start as a teenager

• How to make my voice heard

• Understanding conservation

• Understanding stewardship

• How to help the environment

• Interact with peers that have the same interests

• How to more effectively make a difference

In 3-5 sentences, tell us how you will use this opportunity as a youth ambassador to benefit your school, classmates, and/or your community.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Expectations

Would you be able to commit to a webinar once a month? (NOTE: If you cannot participate in the live meeting, you can watch the recording.)

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Would you be able to check and respond to your email about twice a month?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Would you be able to track your progress and work as an Youth Ambassador?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Please indicate your level of agreement with this statement:

I feel confident in sharing my knowledge about ocean conservation.

(Note: Your answers will not affect your acceptance into the program. We just want to see where you are now.)

• Strongly Disagree

• Disagree

• Neutral

• Agree

• Strongly Agree

Please indicate your level of agreement with this statement:

I feel confident being a leader in my community.

(Note: Your answers will not affect your acceptance into the program. We just want to see where you are now.)

• Strongly Disagree

• Disagree

• Neutral

• Agree

• Strongly Agree

Any questions? Reach out to sanctuary.education@noaa.gov.