OPWWEE Operation WaterWays Environmental Education

OPWWEE is our year-round after-school/summer program. OPWWEE is designed to increase the BIPOC, gender equity employment population of 20% in the marine and natural resource industry, over the next ten (10) years. OPWWEE program fosters opportunities for personal development — intensive life experiences that help youth develop leadership skills, a reverence for nature, a safe place for emotional/mental environment therapy, a desire for work in the maritime industry, and the ability to work in teams. Environmental Education training teaches the character virtues of stewardship, resourcefulness, pride, humility, bravery, & strength.

OPWWEE's program for gender equity builds confidence and breaks down diversity/ethnicity barriers in science and the outdoors. Through the eyes of a scientist, enviro- conservationist, artist, and angler, youth make a personal connection to their home waters. Empowering youth to overcome social-emotional learning (SEL) challenges.

National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence in Baltimore City Report described the high trend of non-gender children's exposure to violence as a national crisis. These are efforts OPWWEE is taking to become a safe summer environmental program where these children can get support.

The Love Her Wild survey revealed that the three biggest barriers to getting non-gender females outdoors were…..not wanting to do it alone (55%), a lack of confidence (55%), and a lack of skills (48%).

This program gives participants the confidence to move forward in a positive direction by introducing them to environmental inclusion, using boating/kayaking, building underwater robots, and an introduction to marine conservation while teaching the next generation of anglers fishing skills that will last a lifetime. In addition, the program will increase the awareness of multilingual, multigenerational, fishing trial programs that target multi-ethnic participants (i.e., Latino, Afro-American, Asian American- immigrants, refugees, youth, families, and all-girl/young women’s social groups with little or no angling experience). The aquaculture program will give youth hands-on experience to teach them about raising native forage fisheries species and will serve to motivate minority girls and young women to be engaged in angling over future years

The OPWWEE's solution is broken out into four (4) educational and experiential tasks which include 1) an introduction to local fisheries involving virtual learning, classroom aquaculture, and robotic assembly for underwater oyster bed observation, 2) an introduction to rod and reel configuration where participants will learn all parts of the rod and reel, including spinning, baitcasting, conventional and fly reels, along with their proper use, and 3) Casting 101 which includes virtual instruction, experience with live bait and artificial lures and opportunities to cast from a variety of access points including kayaks, 4) Exposing gender equality in marine-based occupations seldom exposed and diversified. Throughout the program, participants will be transported to a variety of fishing experiences within the Bay watershed. The program will culminate in minority non-gender youth fishing land tournaments.  

Description of work to be performed and key deliverables:

Background:
One More One Less Mentoring, Inc. (OMOL) provides mentors who promote and support positive growth among underprivileged/at-risk, gender-equality youth by preparing and empowering them to become catalysts for positive social change. The OPWWEE adventure pulls in youth to discover their identity and their families. Approximately 50 youth and 15 adults are recruited from three local public schools. Many of these youths are so disengaged from their environment that they have no understanding of the water's resources, the fun it offers, habitats, or how they impact the environment. Although Baltimore is a beloved port city, many Maryland minority residents near and far, have little to no access to the water. Ensuring the health of the entire Chesapeake Bay ecosystem is a team effort. The goal of the program is to strengthen the next generation’s connection with the water, show them how to enjoy the natural resources in their city and empower Baltimore's youth to be stewards of the Bay.

OPWWEE's target population is LGBTQ+ Youth, Youth who have experienced trauma, Girls/female-identifying participants, and BIPOC youth; 85% black, 10% Latino, and 5% other. To understand their challenges and struggles, staff has undergone gender equity/inclusion professional development workshops, and cultural sensitivity training to diversify our staff to represent our target market. Consistent engagement, listening, and creating safe spaces for them have garnered our integrity within our target market. We have identified students that are highlighted as struggling with their body acceptance and gender orientation.

Teachers identify youths that have behavioral issues, emotional challenges, trauma, or need a safe, structured program. Due to OPWWWEE's past engagement, these schools have witnessed a change in enrolled youths’ behaviors, increase attendance, & desire to see new destinations. Through our school partnerships, OPWWEE stays organized for families to track scheduled activities and excursions early, know each youth is unique, keep instructions simple, and create opportunities for success. OPWWEE establishes behavioral expectations early, communicate with parents by text, stays flexible, and uses visual aids, and auditory & tactile cues.

This solution addresses their needs by providing caring adults that can address their gender inquiries from a sound place, open technology access, resources for EE inclusion, and MarineSTEM/occupation exposure. Learning hands-on STEM skills on the water, in the classroom, and in the kitchen. These activities encourage students to become innovators who have the potential to change the world. On the water, youth creatively engineer underwater robot tech, code the robot’s sensory motherboard, data entry water quality values, report findings mathematically and capture underwater live footage.

In the classroom, students are managing aquaculture tanks to raise fish and turtles. Youth learn the science of ecosystems and chemically adjust the water in aquaculture tanks. They also research where various invasive fish live, their habitats, and their diet preferences. 

In the kitchen, students learn culinary STEM principles. They take the fish they caught and turn it into a fine dining experience. Mariners perform recipes with their catch, explore how chefs creatively think through food production, analyze how food changes when cooked, and use math to analyze the associated costs. The group collaborates & communicates to facilitate various culinary stations, each making part of the menu. In the end, youth, staff, & caregivers come together, share adventures, break bread, & provide video testimonies of their experiences.

Mariners experience improved resilience to tackle problems head-on, improve self-confidence, and higher self-esteem through daily accomplishments. Their growth will make an impact on them socially (learning to collaborate in pods), academically (environmental STEM), and on their workforce development exposures (taking them away on marine excursions to observe new occupations). Many youths in Baltimore have never been safely exposed to fishing, boating, or environmental sciences due to their fear of the water (this program will instruct how to get over that fear). By offering MarineSTEM activities, confidence will grow, accomplishments achieved and water fears will be overcome. Marine exposure to water will instruct mental health calming techniques that reduce PTSD triggers, anger & explosive conflicts. 

As the CEO and father of a 14 year, gender-neutral daughter, I have young people around my staff and myself who keep a pulse on youth's challenges constantly. We are part of neighborhood associations, volunteer frequently in the communities we serve, provide food solutions, blight beautification projects, and are impactfully giving where there is need. As OPWWEE engages youth throughout the year, we survey kids from 4th grade to 12th grade to listen to their stories of home, peers, and relationships. OPWWEE takes the suggestions of youth to allow shape of a more effective outcome.

OPWWEE gives youth and community voices autonomy in the fishing tournament (start to finish)- responsible for marketing, seeking sponsorship, food/prize selection, professional adults will function as sounding boards, to assist with the ”HOW,” to execute/deliver. Youth and community have safe equitable workforce discussions on the scheduling of tasks, and marine community projects. OPWWEE will set ground rules early that youths’ direction must be agreed on as a group. This rule will make space for a respectful conversation. 

Currently, we are serving 150 youth and adults

OMOL Mentoring is applying for this Gender Equity in STEM for 2 main reasons; 1) to gain a support system that will instruct how to scale into a national entity without making major pitfalls getting there. Learn on the curve of others' mistakes. Refining our processes and strengthening our systems to be more impactful and efficient, 2) MarineSTEM EE is a viable occupation that has so much room for female growth in many paths, OPWWEE wants to be that premier niche vendor for all demographics and promote gender equity.

ONE More... ONE Less Mentoring has connected over the last 17 years with various communities and counties throughout Maryland. During the pandemic, we were at the forefront of providing baby care packages, household sanitation products, masks, gloves, fresh produce boxes, freshly caught fish, essential clothing, virtual resume writing, and mock interviews for parents that were laid off to update their skills. OMMOL mentoring supplied hybrid summer camps to impoverished families and took high school youth on college tours. OMOL Mentoring lives and breathes community impact. OMOL Mentoring is a vital partner to many schools within our communities, meeting their needs on demand. When a partnering school lost an elementary student in a terrible fire, we provided resources for a memorial tribute for the family at the school. When schools want to do 5o men for lunch in the school we supplied a network of men and breakfast donuts. Our founder, Pastor Ron Beazer was adamant about helping those in need. Biblically it is stated in Mark 10:45, That Jesus didn't come to Be served but to be a servant to the many. This has been one of many OMOL Mentoring's internal mantras.

OMOL Mentoring solution approaches the problem of MarineSTEM in an innovative hands-on approach different from most living classroom programming. OPWWEE has partnered with mental health therapist that facilitates PRP counseling from an individual, group, or family setting. Providing the tools needed for gender equity acceptance and inclusion in marine science. Youth have recreation to explore this new element called water.  

Data confirms water enhances mental wellness. Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, marine biologist and author of “Blue Mind,” discusses the health benefits of being on the water. His bestselling book on the scientific connection between water and happiness informed OPWWEE to create daily MarineSTEM activities that have a hands-on daily approach to aquaculture- raising fish, oysters, crabs, & turtles; mentors teach students animals' habitat, diet preferences, various fishing techniques & casting lessons; youth utilize technology in new 21st Century application, building, and operating Underwater Autonomy Robotics/drones. They learn parts of various rods/reels and casting 101 on land before going to the water to apply their teaching; Youth travel to 4 different counties to get away from the stressors to be on different boats, jet ski, and kayaks. Youth are mentored on vessel Safety, Emergency Protocols, and Personal Life Preservers. Students gain access to commercial crabbing boats and learn the process of the sea to table. Additionally, youth learn safety prevention lessons on “Stop the Bleed” Prevention from the University Of Md. Youths have college laboratory tours to the University of MD. Horne Point Hatchery- Cambridge, Md, and Morgan State PEARL program, discussing marine occupations, aquaculture, & seafood sustainability.

OPWWEE Summer Clinic gives youth experiences from therapists on how to de-escalate conflicts, prioritize problem-solving, and use mentoring resources to navigate challenges.OPWWEE has partnered with this mental health therapist to facilitate PRP counseling from an individual, group, or to family setting.

OPWWEE's impact goals for the next year are to provide gender equity in the realm of water conservation and MarineSTEM. An additional program this year created, #Operation TakeFlight Academy (OPTFA) designed to expose youth to AeroSTEM concepts, engineering, and Aviation. Youth are gaining the ability to see STEM from an elemental world of water, air, and solar. Our programming implementation focuses on what kids have an interest in and occupational shortages, but have no access to achieve opening the door of these occupations, so it is my team's goal to correct that access which is a lack of inclusion for color and gender equality. OPWWEE is designed to increase the minority, gender equity in employment-population by 20% in the marine and natural resource industries, over the next ten (10) years.

OPWWEE is achieving this impact goal by instructing youth workforce knowledge that helps them select colleges and universities focused on MarineSTEM obtain careers in marine science and gain digital technology skills that can help them with anything they want to do. Over the year, they will do this by catching invasive fish species, learning to interpret a fishfinder radar, VR Goggles for virtual fishing, utilizing critical thinking to navigate a body of water, and building/controlling an autonomous underwater robot and drones. There is a Techculinary class learning to incorporate technology to cook today’s catch, restaurant lunches to teach dining etiquette and restaurant behavior, and exposure to new dining experiences. Additionally, youth learn how to grow Techagricutural through hydroponic produce. Youth get to learn about specific careers by discovering how technology is used by The US Coast Guard to protect shorelines by, Search & Rescue, climate change scientists, and more. We recruit mentoring professionals who are Black, Latino, gender-neutral, and/or female, so students can see themselves represented.

We are currently achieving our goals. 2022 we provide impact to well over 300+ participants, with the expansion of additional states seeking to partner we will impact youth from various backgrounds and lifestyles. With the addition of technical assistance our goals for engaging states, partners, schools, and sponsorships allow us to reach many gender equity youth seeking to engage in STEM-based curriculum that are outside the norm, with promising careers in their immediate future 

OPWWEE is currently measuring our progress toward our impact goals from assessments measurements, surveys, feedback & attendance trackers from the last 2 years revealed from 65 youths, our summer program achieved 92% attendance, 85% of youth learned new proficiency skills, 40% of youth opened saving accounts, and 63% of students rejoined for future engagement and 85% youth left with new exposure to STEM never exposed to in marine science. Skills learned are applied after summer in multiple ways, but not limited to conflict resolution disputes, the continuation of outdoor fishing/water activities, learned collaboration with peers during school participation, demonstration of leadership skills in the classroom, money management, identified potential self-business aspirations, and learned to accept constructive feedback. Youth through surveys and testimonies reported they felt learning in this safe space and having non-biases adults engagement regardless of their gender orientation, allowed youth to learn in a more relaxed unpretentious way

OPWWEE) 9/2023- 7/2024

Logic Model objective: Create a MarineSTEM vehicle for enhancing the environmental knowledge of Latino/Afro-Americans, with gender equity, youth suffering from PTSD, and emotional learning disabilities. OPWWEE instructs through a narrower lens how students and staff can promote responsible environmental stewardship practices for gender equity in MarineSTEM and gain knowledge of the connections between the environment, wildlife, public health, community, and society.

Inputs

What We Have

·Strong Leadership and Clinical Therapist retained

·Partnership giving support

·21215 Elementary/Middle/High school population for Recruitment, green space, and retainment strategies

·OST Environment Education curriculum and lesson plan

·Parents and communities invested in partnerships

·Partnership with Towson/Morgan University, IMET, Baltimore City Park /Rec, Patuxent Research Center, and DC Environmental Center,

·Pre/Mid/Post survey tools and evidence-based assessments to measure outcomes

·$3500.00 match funding term

·Access to charter boats/ boating sponsorship, US Coast Guard Aux Division, kayaks

·Operational social media conference platform

What Is Needed?

·Land Transportation- 15-passenger  bus to transport youth to destinations

·Environmental STEM Grant Award with Technical Support to scale and maintain sustainability

·Environmental Conservation Project Supplies and misc., (STEAM Kits, plants, pollinating flowers, fruit/ nut trees, green coop house)

Outputs

Activities

Participation

Recruitment of youth through PTA affiliation, parents seeking environmental learning for gender-neutral children, partnering nonprofits, and social media

·Staff training and professional development

·Provide Mental Health, and environmental enrichment activities to youth including;

Life skills; Professional Career Development; Boating/Navigation; Bioscience/MarineSTEM Exercises; Clinical Therapy, Wildlife Conservation; "Park Clean Up Day." Urban Farming Training; Fishing Mentorship, Stormwater Runoff Management; Culinary/ Health Nutrition

·Hosted 6 "Parent/Community Appreciation Fish Fry Dinner Nights(PCAFFD) to meet, greet and accept others' differences

·1 to 1 interviews, parental video testimonies, and student engagement.

·Visit various field excursions up the Chesapeake watershed to expose youth to various environmental ecosystem conflicts.

·Gather pre/post program survey data on youth 6- 16 yrs old

·Litter reduction workshop attendees will mobilize their community to hold trash clean-up dates for local parks

· Planting trees and installing birdhouses will increase the topography thus adding to marine bird wildlife habitats

·Over 300 youth (30% gender neutral) & adults participated in these Environmental Enrichment activities in 2022, min. 180 days and 350 hours

·9 mentors trained in student engagement

·350+ man hrs. completed of student mentor engagement

·10 partnerships established (businesses, non-profits, colleges)

·215 hrs. of boating safety, boating navigation, boating/kayaking excursions, 

·20 fruit/nut trees planted 50 pollinating flowers planted 

3 rain barrels installed in green spaces 

5 Artificial Reef balls constructed

50 native seashore types of grass planted

2 bioswale created

120 fish raised/released in Aquaculture 

50 STEM engineering birdhouses

·6 youth environmental workshops and training held

·(15) 2hrs culinary training completed; 85% of youth learned how to eat cleaner from the land/sea

·85% is 96 youth out of 120 attendance rate for full term program,

·50% is 25 youth out of 50 will demonstrate a substantial improvement in math, environmental literacy, STEM & science.

·95% is 114 youth out of 120 program participants will improve their life skills, measured by comparison of periodic life skills test results and assessments.

Our MarineSTEM model is utilizing existing technology that has never been exposed to youth on an accessible scale. CHIRP, radar, sonar, and sound imagery technology are used to map the bathysphere of the underwater contours, to locate invasive fish species, autonomous robots measure water quality remotely, and underwater drone gives live day/night infrared perspective of creatures in their natural habitat, enabling a lens to see oyster growth and production. Technology is being infused into our culinary and agricultural side. Youth use culinary calculators and smartphone applications to figure out how to cater food vs population count of provision. Technology is applied to the aquculture of systems, chemical water quality, and measuring of the fry to release the size of fish. In hydroponics for food solutions, students utilize technology's to yield an abundance of fresh non GMO produce  

Full-time staff is (1); Part-time staff (5); Contractors (10); Volunteers (18); Schools Engagement Community Parnters (4)

OPWWEE has been developing and providing MarineSTEM for the last 3 years and implemented in the height of the 2020 COVID pandemic, as a need to provide food security to families dealing with the loss of the household breadwinner, parental layoffs, and emotional inclusion from family and friends. In this 4th year, we have evolved to intentionally open doors to MarineSTEM for gender equity and BIPOC inclusion. ONE More... ONE Less Mentoring has an impeccable community reputation of 17 years.

OMOL MEntoring approach to incorporating DE&I into our programs consists of: 

Understanding there are systematic roadblocks embedded in American culture, outdoor spaces, technology, education, and economics which lead to unequal access for certain groups of people.OMOL Mentoring is committed to providing equity of access to all people, including and especially those who have been historically underrepresented and/or marginalized based on race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion.

OMOL Mentoring researched the latest needs of youth, develop pragmatic experiential and service learning leadership traits, utilized adaptive curriculums, and designed programming which intrigues, motivates, and inspires young people in a gender-neutral environment. Giving access and inclusion to barriers that can no longer lock them out from acceptance.

OMOL Mentoring's business model was adapted from a book called, "Getting Naked," a small marketing /advertising agency that was outshining and producing more revenue than the big advertising giants. So the big advertising giants acquired the small business to learn their procedures and systems. From soliciting customers to business meetings to frequent touchpoints to listening to the need, asking questions to collaborate on solutions, to delivering the results in simple terms to effectively win and retain the client. Although OMOL Mentoring's end user is youth, organizations acquire our programming services from word of mouth of our impact, manhours of deliverables, listening to the interest of youth, and creating exciting programs that have short and long-term impacts of behavior modification, comprehension of skillset learned, and fun in physical and emotionally safe spaces.

OMOL mentoring provides the experience of MarineSTEM in a facet many organizations only have pieces of the puzzle making the allure of a one-stop program so much more appealing. We listened to the demand for outdoor access in pandemic years, capitalized on cornering the market on marine outdoor accessibility, combined with mental health wellness, and MarineSTEM activities, and have expanded into many other human services needs from gender equity, senior daycare, and substance abuse rehabilitation. We provide these marginalized groups with the feeling of value, respect, dignity, and self-worth all while being exposed to new MarineSTEM activities.

OPWWEE provides these services in-school/OST capacity, year-round in blocks of time allowing us to move participants through modules of proficiency and then allow them to practice youth leadership training the next wave of younger participants or adults.

OMOL Mentoring's financial sustainability plan is a continuation of improving our donor giving by implementing newer recurring larger monthly contributions strategies. We have been successful in raising sponsorship/in-kind donations from major fishing equipment manufacturers. We are contracting OPWWEE program services to various states and governments, which allows us to create additional revenue streams. In addition, we are gaining government grant access to bid on federal grants for youth engagement in marine/fishery environmental education. Embark on adding another part-time grant writer to gain new local grant RFPs. Recruiting additional board of directors with a focus on financial investment and fundraising to support programming. OMOL Mentoring will partner with my personal property business to teach youth real estate and construction to produce income funneled back into the nonprofit, to secure sustainability.

Youth that grow out of the program, gain employment opportunities to become leaders and instructors of tomorrow, thus having an internal understanding of what the goal of the program is and taking value in giving back what someone displayed in them. This student-to-instructor path creates a recycling of manpower that has already been brought into the vision, and organization's purpose, and continues to incentivize older students to transition into instructors to retain employment.

Over the last 3 years, OMOL Mentoring has received Environmental Education grant awards for OPWWEE from Weinberg Foundation of $30,000; BassPro $5,000; UnitedWay $28,000; Park Heights Renaissance $22,500; Maryland Dept of Natural Resources $27,05; Recreation Boating Fishing Foundation $28,000 

Local government contracts for program services with Baltimore City Park & Recreation $14,000

Received in-kind manufacture donations and sponsorships of $10,000

From our Annual Fishing tournament, we have raised $4,200