SeanRussell

Sean Russell is a nineteen year old community service advocate whose work with his family, church, the Florida 4-H Program and as a high school intern at Mote Marine Laboratory provided him with the guidance, knowledge and skills necessary to have a positive impact on his community and state. While a member of the Florida 4-H program, Sean served his community through a variety of service projects which included visitations and care packages for elderly residents in nursing homes, food and toy collections for children and families in need, food collections and toy making projects for animals at the humane society, as well as a variety of environmental clean ups, beautification and planting projects and environmental education outreach programs.

Through his environmental work on the “Stow It-Don’t Throw It” project, a state-wide monofilament fishing line recycling program, Sean continues to lead a collaborative effort between youth and environmental organizations designed to educate anglers and the public about the importance of protecting marine life from the dangers of improperly disposed of monofilament fishing line. Sean gained international recognition for his work with the “Stow It-Don’t Throw It” project when he was honored as an International Young Eco-Hero, by Action for Nature. The project was also featured on Nickelodeon’s Big Green Help Program and in the Green My Parents book, both of which are environmental education outreach initiatives. Most recently Sean was honored as a Barron Prize finalist for his work on this project. In November of 2011, Sean, with the help of Mote Marine Laboratory and a dedicated group of youth and adult speakers and workshop leaders, lead the first Youth Ocean Conservation Summit held in the state of Florida. The summit was created to equip youth interested in ocean conservation with the knowledge and skills necessary to carry on successful environmental initiatives. Over one hundred youth attended this event. Youth left the summit as part of a team, a Youth Ocean Conservation Team, the YOCT. They also left with plans for a wide variety of ocean conservation projects. Sean plans to make the summit an annual event where youth can come to share their work on ocean conservation projects and continue to inspire and teach other youth how to launch their own projects.

During his time as a Mote Marine high school intern, and as a college age summer camp volunteer, Sean has given over six hundred hours of service to Mote Marine Laboratory’s educational programs. He has also given countless hours to community service projects while serving as a member of the Florida 4-H Program. While in 4-H, Sean served as president of his county and district. Sean also served as Florida’s 4-H state council president during his senior year in high school. As president he presided over the activities of the state council, whose decisions effected over 250,000 4-H members state wide. Currently, Sean serves on the Florida 4-H Youth Development Advisory Council. He also serves as a member of the Youth Service America board where he plans to unite efforts to help newly emerging 4-H clubs in Africa with the youth led community service efforts of this organization. He hopes to highlight these efforts on Youth Service America’s Global Youth Service Day. Sean has also served his community as a leader in training in his church’s AWANA by mentoring youth in kindergarten through second grade. In addition to giving time for community service projects, Sean also served as president of his county and district 4-H clubs. Sean was honored to serve as Florida’s 4-H state council president his senior year in high school. As president he presided over the activities of the state council, whose decisions effected over 250,000 4-H members state wide.

Sean is a junior at the University of Florida where he plans to complete a biology degree through the department of Natural Resources. He then plans to enter the ProTeach Master’s program at UF. He would like to become involved in environmental education and conservation work with youth programs or aquariums and/or teach high school or middle school science.