This story is a part of the GenOcean campaign — an official Ocean Decade campaign showcasing Decade Actions, collaborating organizations and ocean leaders that focus on youth and citizen science opportunities to help anyone, anywhere be the change the ocean needs.
If we want a healthy ocean tomorrow, we need to connect young people to it today. For many students, especially those living inland, the ocean can feel distant, abstract or disconnected from everyday life. But even in coastal communities, proximity doesn’t always lead to a meaningful relationship with the sea. Research shows that early, experiential exposure to marine environments and nature significantly increases the likelihood of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors later in life, laying a foundation for lifelong stewardship and even ocean-related careers. When young people are given space to explore real ocean challenges, talk openly about solutions and meet practitioners working in the field, something powerful happens: they begin to see themselves as part of the ocean’s future no matter how far away from it they live.
The Veivueti Kids Ocean Conference based in Fiji is an event that provides a lifelong impact in the relationships students build with each other and their ocean environment. Now, in its third year, the conference is endorsed as an official activity of the Ocean Decade and serves as a powerful example of what happens when young people are trusted to lead, communities come together and ocean stewardship is rooted in culture, care and curiosity.
“The conference was created to give all students across Fiji a chance to connect with the ocean by exploring challenges in their own communities, whether at school or at home,” says Hannah Nanovu, Ocean Coordinator and conference organizer at International School Suva (ISS). “Even students who live inland can see how these issues reflect broader environmental challenges, and by being active learners and problem-solvers, they can share ideas, inspire others and realize that we are all connected and responsible for caring for our planet.”
The Veivueti Kids Ocean Conference as a whole directly contributes to several Ocean Decade Challenges, including:
- 2 – Protecting and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity
- 9 – Enabling skills, knowledge, technology and participation for all
- 10 – Restoring society’s relationship with the ocean
But, in reality, through their projects and research leading up to this conference, student groups are invited to choose and devise solutions to address any one of the ten Challenges that is relevant to their community’s needs.
The conference invites students and teachers from local schools plus NGOs and ocean experts in the region to participate and support a youth-led event with proven success as a template that can be used around the world to create more spaces like this for kids to meaningfully connect to the ocean.
A Conference Built on Veivueti
Veivueti is a Fijian value that speaks to care, compassion and mutual support. It is also the heart of this student-led ocean conference.
“The name ‘Veivueti’ was chosen by one of our Fijian teachers to reflect the gathering and sharing of knowledge,” says Nanovu. “Guided by elders, it emphasizes the importance of intergenerational learning, bringing together youth, experts and traditional knowledge holders to share what they know and grow ocean stewardship.”
With a background in marine environmental science and years of teaching experience in Fiji and internationally, Hannah Nanovu joined International School Suva as the Ocean Coordinator with a clear vision: to help build a “Blue School” where the ocean is not just a topic, but a living part of the curriculum. What began as a one-day gathering in 2024 has now grown into an annual, multi-school event — each year bigger, bolder and more student-driven than the last.
In 2025, the conference gained major partnerships and sponsors. On the second day of the conference, the older student participants (ages 13 to 16) led a dialogue session sponsored by IUCN and the Ocean Commissioners Office (OPOC) and hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum. Representatives of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme (BIOPAMA) and Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) were invited to speak alongside the students. Their work didn’t stop there: student calls for action were shared all the way to Nice, France, contributing youth perspectives to global ocean conversations around the UN Ocean Conference that year.
Youth Leading Science, Culture and Solutions
The Veivueti Kids Ocean Conference brings together primary and secondary students (ages 8 to 16), teachers, NGOs, scientists and community members for two days of learning, sharing and action. Each participating school identifies a real ocean-related challenge in their community — often linked to coral reefs, mangroves, water quality or coastal resilience — and spends months researching solutions aligned with the Ocean Decade Challenges.
“Students are a wealth of information,” says Joeli Bili, Regional Communications Officer at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ Pacific). “When we gathered for the conference, the students were already well versed in seagrass topics which goes to show the amount of preparation and research that they’ve done. On top of that, the students were enthusiastic, which made the learning more fun and enjoyable!”
Students present their findings to peers in a conference-style setting, gaining early exposure to what scientific collaboration and knowledge-sharing looks and feels like.
“The conference really changed my understanding of the ocean, particularly how complex the ocean is, how precious it is and how it affects us all as a species as we are all connected,” says Malia, a 12-year-old student from Pacific Nations School. “I’ve always loved the ocean but learnt that if we don’t act now in looking after the ocean and all sea life, our experience of life will be severely impacted. I now think about what I can do everyday to make a difference in caring for our ocean.”
Workshops and field experiences complement student presentations, with past activities including:
- Mangrove planting and coastal field trips
- Museum and NGO-hosted learning days with the Uto Ni Yalo Sailing Trust
- Ship-to-shore Zoom calls with research vessels
- Hands-on sessions with organizations working on recycling, sharks, coral restoration and more
Each conference day opens with traditional song and dance, reminding everyone that science, culture and storytelling belong together.
“Blending culture and science allows our students to understand the ocean not just with their minds, but with their whole identity,” shares Eleni Vuniamatana, teacher at International School Suva “When we honour traditional knowledge alongside scientific inquiry, we grow custodians who feel connected, responsible and empowered to protect our shared ocean.”
The end goal of this leg of the mission is to share data with decision makers to expand and create marine protected areas that include these deeper zones of the ocean and to engage the public with the richness of these ecosystems through storytelling and education.
Aligned with the Ocean Decade and Designed to Scale
By blending Western science, Indigenous knowledge and youth-led inquiry, the conference nurtures ocean literacy and empowers students to see themselves as active ocean stewards, not just future ones.
Importantly, this is not a one-off event. It is a replicable model. Hosted in Fiji, the conference is designed to inspire other schools, island nations and both coastal and inland communities to create their own youth-driven ocean gatherings.
“I started the conference with a vision, unsure how it would come together, but at the end of the first conference in 2024, I got goosebumps,” says Nanovu. “Watching the students and experts share ideas and learn from each other, I knew this was something truly special. I would love to see more students involved, bringing Pacific Island schools together and eventually extending this model beyond the region.”
Growing the Movement in 2026
The 2026 Veivueti Kids Ocean Conference will take place on June 3 and 4 in the lead up to World Ocean Day on June 8, expanding to include up to 10 schools with smaller, more focused student teams. With support from the Fiji Ministry of Education, the conference is expanding its reach to inland, rural and island schools, helping students who may feel distant from the ocean understand how deeply it shapes their lives and futures.
Key partners already include the International School Suva and ocean-focused NGOs and experts: Ocean Commissioners Office (OPOC), The Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science (PCCOS), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Pacific Community in Suva (SPC), Fiji Shark Lab, Coral Gardeners, Uto Ni Yalo, Ika Bula and many more.
“This conference gave me an opportunity to learn from my students and their knowledge about the topic of study,” shares Kinisimere Leawere, Veiuto Primary School Teacher. “Children are a tank full of knowledge waiting to be opened.”
But to grow sustainably, the conference needs more hands, voices and support.
Join the Ripple Effect
Are you a school or educator?
For those based in Fiji, get in touch by emailing the International School Suva for more information about joining the 2026 conference.
In 2027, the conference will expand to the Pacific region. If you are a school in the South Pacific and are interested in establishing a partnership now, please also reach out to the International School Suva. For those in other regions, use the Veivueti model to create a student-led ocean conference in your own region.
Are you an ocean expert or NGO in the region?
Support the conference through talks, workshops, mentorship, virtual sessions or field experiences that help students see real-world ocean careers.
Are you a funder or philanthropic organization?
Help secure the future of locally led, youth-driven ocean initiatives by supporting conference logistics, teacher training and student participation.
The Veivueti Kids Ocean Conference shows what’s possible when young people are given space to lead, learn and connect with each other and with the ocean. It is a living expression of being the change the ocean needs shaped by the next generation.
Read more GenOcean stories on our webpage.
