About the Academy
If you have a question about the Academy that isn’t answered below, please get in touch via the Contact Us page.
Thanks to the support of the Ocean Conservation Trust, we can offer the Academy at a heavily subsidised rate of £1,200. In addition, we have a handful of grants available on a sliding scale for individuals who can’t afford this
Included in the price:
– 3 nights shared accommodation in Plymouth and 3 nights on board the yacht
– All meals from dinner from the first night to breakfast on the last day
– All activities (including tours, sail training, snorkelling and rock-pooling), workshops and talks
– Snorkelling equipment, wetsuits, wet weather gear and life vests for sailing
What’s not included:
– Transport to and from the start
– Transport from Plymouth to Portsmouth (we will coordinate as a team to liftshare)
This opportunity is for anyone 18+ living in the UK.
We are specifically looking for adults who do not have a science background and are not already working full-time in conservation. Other than that, the Academy is open to anyone! We are looking for people from all walks of life with one thing in common – a passion for our ocean and a desire to do more.
To apply for the Academy, you have to come up with a skeleton of an idea for a project or action that you might like to take in ocean conservation. Don’t be overwhelmed by this or think that your idea is too small (or too big!). Get creative, fire up your imagination, what would you like to see happen? Do you have a project close to home that is calling to be initiated? Can you see yourself, with a bit of help, being THAT person to take action? Does this opportunity excite you?
It could be a seed of an idea, or it might be more fully formed and close to delivery. It doesn’t matter – we’re just interested in individuals who demonstrate that they are ready to take that step. To sign up for the cohort, you must commit to making your project happen within 6 months of the Academy. We’ll be there to help you, giving you all the skills and confidence you need to get it off the ground.
Most importantly proposals will be selected on the grounds of their replicability, reach, diversity, accessibility and ingenuity.
– Comfortable clothing and footwear
– Earplugs and eye mask (you’ll be sharing rooms!)
– Trainers or sailing wellies for when we are on the boat
– A sleeping bag and pillow for when we are on the boat
All other equipment is provided.
Absolutely not! If you’ve got the passion and drive to start getting involved in ocean conservation, then that’s all you need to apply.
Once the application deadline has passed, our judges will gather to select the cohort. We will be looking for individuals who show the greatest potential, are excited about this opportunity, and are ready to make it count. In addition, we’ll aim to have a broad range of projects, as we know this can be powerful for collaborations.
The conservation industry is one of the least diverse in the UK. We want to help change this, so we will also be looking to create as much diversity as possible in our cohort, giving individuals of different ages and backgrounds an opportunity to bring fresh ideas and voices to the space.
Judging panel to be announced soon!
The Ocean Academy takes place on 2nd – 8th March 2026 in Plymouth and Portsmouth. To apply for the Academy, simply fill out this form before July 31st 2025.