The Ocean Star four-week program (June 23-July 17), sponsored by the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS) for children ages 10 to 12 years of age is on a clear mission—and its mission is to promote ocean awareness and ocean safety among the youngsters. The program is being held at the Tauese P.F. Sunia Ocean Center.

“We want the kids here to grow up and have a sense of appreciation for our island's ocean. By doing so, maybe some of them might become marine biologists or something related to this field,” said the NMSAS Education Assistant, Charles Miller. “This is also something that could lead towards beautifying our island, by working with these youth and making them aware of the ocean,” he said.

“We divided the topics by what they will be learning, with the first week being discussions on coral and coral reefs and their importance. The second week will be about marine animals and their importance in the food chain and the ecosystem.”

“The third week will focus on threats to our reefs — both natural and human threats —  while the fourth week will show what kids can do to help protect our waters or what they can do to help with the preservations of our reefs and ocean,” said Miller.

Swimming lessons, field trips, reef walks and games are some of the activities which NMSAS has planned for the children. There will also be guest speakers from different agencies to increase their awareness and understanding of ocean issues.

On Wednesday, the American Samoa Aquatics Agency (ASAA) spoke to the kids about ocean safety and open water swimming, getting the kids ready for yesterday morning, when members of the ASAA taught the kids the proper way to swim and how to be safe in the water.

Some of participants stated to Samoa News that they were glad to be part of this program that is teaching them about the ocean that surrounds our islands. One student told Samoa News, " I love swimming in the ocean, and learning about the creatures that live there."