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Youth from around the world to gather at the Gaspé campus in support of ocean conservation

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On this World Oceans Day, the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles is proud to announce the International Youth Forum on Ocean Conservation. From June 19 to July 1, this high-profile international event will bring together nearly a hundred young people aged 18 to 35 from over twenty countries, selected from among participants who have successfully completed the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) ‘Youth civic engagement for the conservation of marine protected areas’ (french only) .

This free course, launched in the fall of 2025, aimed to enhance knowledge and civic engagement regarding the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems. Available in four languages and offered worldwide, it attracted a wide audience of youth concerned about environmental issues. Over 2,600 people enrolled in the course, which was available in French, English, Spanish or Portuguese. Of those who successfully completed the course and achieved a score above 70% in the final assessment, nearly 600 applied to take part in an immersive follow-up training program in Gaspé.

 

The main aim of the forum is to mobilise, empower and showcase a global generation of young people committed to protecting the oceans. It provides a structured and stimulating environment where participants will have the opportunity to:

  • take part in practical workshops and thematic working sessions led by national and international experts.
  • to enjoy an immersive experience that promotes intercultural dialogue.
  • develop practical communication skills to speak in public, defend one’s views and influence decision-making processes.
  • play a key role in shaping international advocacy that can be presented at the International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC6), to be held in Senegal in 2027.

 

The workshops will be led by some twenty experts from Quebec, Cameroon, Tunisia, France, Argentina and elsewhere, representing fields such as international cooperation management, coastal geography, marine resource governance, conservation, communication, feminist climate justice and the management of marine protected areas.

 

The event team consists of:

  • people from the Cégep’s Gaspé and Magdalen Islands campuses, as well as from its office in West Africa.
  • local partners, such as the Gaspésie ZIP Committee and Parks Canada.
  • leading international figures involved in the management of various marine protected areas or representing organisations such as the Senegalese Ecological Monitoring Centre.
  • artists such as Juan Sebastian Larobina and Gilles Côté, who will be on hand to support the youth as they experiment with different forms of expression.

 

“Welcoming these young people to Gaspé means making a tangible contribution to the development of a new generation of ocean conservation ambassadors. In addition to the workshops, a field trip to Percé and Barachois will give them an understanding of the issues facing the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area and help them make connections with other marine protected areas,” says Éric Couillard, Director of Continuing Education at the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles.

This forum builds on the significant preparatory work that began in 2025, with an aim to bring together a wide range of expertise and carry out the preparatory activities for the IMPAC6 international conference, and reinforces the Cégep’s role as a key player in environmental education at a global level.

Since February 2025, the Cégep has organised three major events:

  1. Dakar (Senegal), February 2025: Official launch of the preparatory work and definition of the key themes for the future conference.
  2. Gaspé, September 2025: Meeting of over 80 international experts to consolidate the scientific, political and community principles of IMPAC6.
  3. Development of the ‘Youth Citizen Engagement in Marine Protected Area Conservation’ course, including the full set of training modules and digital content.

The International Youth Forum on Ocean Conservation wraps up this series of initiatives.

This course and training for youth in Gaspé are made possible thanks to the collaboration of Senegal’s Directorate of Community Marine Protected Areas and the Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation (PRCM). These preparatory activities for IMPAC6 are facilitated thanks to the support of the Government of Canada.

 

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