Eleven local young people have earned scholarships for the seventh annual Caribbean Sea Camp program, hosted by the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) at the organization’s Little Cayman Research Centre (LCRC).

The programme is run for high school students from 3 to 10 August. Scholarships are merit-based and provided through the Caymanian corporate community, including Butterfield Bank, Bank Austria, Cayman National Bank, Red Sail Sports and Foster’s Food Fair. 

The programme this year is already full with a total of fifteen students – four students from outside the Cayman Islands joining the eleven local young people. 

CCMI claims the Caribbean Sea Camp programme provides an opportunity for young people to have fun exploring Cayman’s tropical habitats while interacting with scientists and marine biology college students, who help run the program.  

CCMI is a non-profit organization based in the Cayman Islands and has a special commitment to encouraging highly motivated high school students to participate in this program.

The essence of the academic portion of the Caribbean Sea Camp this year is “Healthy Coral Reefs Provide: Income, Medicines, Habitats, Food and Protection”.

Students will be involved in a variety of activities every day, including daily field trips to the reefs around the Island.

Through academic studies, students will learn some of the basic methods scientists use to gather information on the health status of fish and coral populations, and about the conservation efforts made in the Cayman Islands to keep our reefs healthy.

According to CCMI, the basis of the program is to invest in both local youth and the environment by improving young people’s knowledge of the importance of keeping the sea healthy.

They will come to understand not only the environmental reasons, but because it underpins the local Cayman economy.

In addition, the programme provides an international experience for kids from around the world.

The LCRC has a tropical field station with wet and dry laboratories, classroom and conference rooms, and accommodations (for twenty-four students and thirty total). It is located by the world-renowned coral reefs of Bloody Bay Marine Park.

CCMI provides leadership in undergraduate, graduate, and professional education, facilitates and conducts research, and offers community conservation programs at the new research centre.CUC, whose CEO, Richard Hew, sits on Executive Council of CCMI, has provided scholarship funds and donated a CUC truck to the LCRC. 

A number of educational programmes are offered at the LCRC. Full details and availability can be found at www.reefresearch.org