Exploring the Long-Term Impact of Immersive Ocean Education
- IAmWaterFoundation
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
A recent study conducted by the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW) on the effectiveness of the Ocean Guardians Workshop offers insight into the long-term impact of immersive ocean experiences on how young people think, feel, and act.
At I AM WATER, much of our work is built around moments of first experience - a learner peering through a mask into the underwater world for the first time, the stillness that comes with controlled breathing, or the realisation that the ocean is not something separate from them, but something they are part of.
For years, we have witnessed the immediate impact of these experiences. Though, what has been less visible, and far more difficult to measure, is what happens after.
A recent research publication, Investigating the Longer-term Student Outcomes of a Two-day Ocean-focused Program for Underserved Youth in Cape Town, offers important insight into this question. The study evaluates the longer-term outcomes of an Ocean Guardians Workshop (OGW); a two-day immersive ocean education programme, and contributes to a growing, yet still limited body of research exploring sustained impact in environmental education.
Why Long-Term Impact Matters in Ocean Education
Environmental and ocean education programmes are often designed with ambitious goals: to build knowledge, shift attitudes, and ultimately inspire behaviours that support environmental care. However, as the publication highlights, there is no simple or linear pathway between these outcomes.
While many programmes successfully increase knowledge in the short-term, this does not automatically translate into meaningful behavioural change. For this reason, the researchers emphasize the importance of measuring not only what students learn, but also how they feel about the ocean and whether they go on to act differently in their daily lives.
Despite this, most evaluations in this field focus only on immediate, post-programme results. Long-term follow-up is rare, largely due to the logistical challenges of reconnecting with participants months later. This study is therefore significant in that it tracks student outcomes not only before and after the workshop, but again four months later, providing a more complete picture of what stays with participants.
About the Ocean Guardians Workshop
The Ocean Guardians Workshop is designed for 11–13-year-old learners from underserved communities in Cape Town. Over two days, participants engage in a combination of experiential and reflective activities, including snorkelling, ecosystem exploration, environmental education, beach clean-ups, and mindfulness practices that involve breath, visualisation and movement.
The programme is intentionally structured to address multiple aspects of learning. Alongside introducing key concepts related to ocean ecosystems and conservation, it creates space for emotional engagement, confidence-building, and personal reflection. Learners are also supported by trained facilitators, many of whom come from the same communities, strengthening relatability and trust.
A defining feature of the workshop is the Ocean Guardian pledge, where each student commits to a personal action to protect the ocean. This moment serves as a bridge between experience and intention, a theme that becomes particularly important in understanding the study’s findings.
How the Study was Conducted
The evaluation followed 266 students who participated in the Ocean Guardians Workshop in 2023. Using a mixed-methods approach, researchers collected data at three stages: before the programme, immediately after, and approximately four months later.
The study focused on three key areas:
Ocean learning - What students understand about the ocean and human–environment relationships.
Attitudes towards the ocean - How students feel about and relate to the ocean.
Ocean stewardship behaviours - The actions students take following the experience.
By combining quantitative survey data with qualitative student responses, the research provides both measurable results and deeper insight into how young people interpret their experiences.
What the Research Shows Us
1. Learning is strong with core messages sustained
Students reported high levels of learning across all measured areas immediately after the workshop, particularly in understanding pollution, marine ecosystems, and the interconnectedness between people and the ocean.
Four months later, some decline in specific knowledge areas was observed, which is typical in educational research. However, several key areas showed no significant drop, including understanding how human actions affect the ocean and how marine protected areas contribute to conservation.
When asked what they remembered most, students consistently highlighted themes of pollution, protecting marine life, and the importance of caring for the ocean. This suggests that while some details may fade, core messages remain.
2. Shifts in attitude are both significant and lasting
One of the most consistent findings across the study is the shift in how students feel about the ocean. Immediately after the workshop, over 80% of participants reported a change in their feelings. These shifts were not superficial, they reflected deeper changes in perception, including increased care, a sense of connection, and, notably, a reduction in fear.
For many learners, the ocean had previously been unfamiliar or intimidating, yet through supported exposure, breathing techniques, and guided exploration, students reported feeling more comfortable and confident in the water.
Importantly, several of these attitudinal changes persisted four months later. Students continued to express positive feelings, a sense of safety, and an increased belief in their own ability to protect the ocean. The study highlights this sense of self-efficacy, the belief that “I can make a difference”, as a critical outcome.
3. Behaviour change is visible and measurable
Perhaps the most compelling finding relates to what students actually did after the workshop.
More than 70% of participants reported engaging in at least one ocean stewardship behaviour in the four months following the programme, with many reporting multiple actions. These behaviours included picking up litter, visiting the beach, learning more about the ocean, and encouraging others to act responsibly.
In addition, over 80% of students remembered the personal pledge they made at the end of the workshop. Many were able to clearly articulate these commitments, often centred around reducing pollution, protecting marine life, or caring for the ocean more broadly.
This is particularly significant given that, as the research notes, there is often a gap between intention and action in environmental education. The findings suggest that the combination of experiential, immersive learning, emotional engagement, and public commitment may play an important role in bridging that gap.
Connection and Representation
Beyond the measurable outcomes, the study also points to the importance of how the programme is delivered. The Ocean Guardians Workshop is guided by facilitators who often come from the same communities as the students. While not always formally trained educators, they are deeply connected to the ocean and to the lived realities of the participants.
The research suggests that this shared context may contribute to stronger engagement and more meaningful outcomes. When students see themselves reflected in those guiding them, the experience becomes more accessible, and the idea of becoming a steward of the ocean feels more attainable.
Insights for the Future of Ocean Education
This study contributes to a relatively small but growing body of evidence showing that short, well-designed environmental programmes can have lasting impact, not only in terms of knowledge, but in shaping attitudes and behaviours over time.
It also reinforces the importance of designing programmes that go beyond information-sharing. Immersive experience, emotional connection, and opportunities for reflection and commitment all appear to play a role in creating meaningful and sustained change.
For I AM WATER, these findings both affirm and inform our work. They offer evidence for what we have long observed in practice, while also providing a framework for continued learning, improvement, and collaboration, particularly as we continue to expand initiatives such as the Ocean for All Alliance.
To read more about the study and its findings, access the full publication here:
