Esta história faz parte da campanha GenOcean - uma campanha oficial Década do Oceano que apresenta as Acções da Década, organizações colaboradoras e líderes do oceano que se concentram na juventude e nas oportunidades de ciência cidadã para ajudar qualquer pessoa, em qualquer lugar, a ser a mudança de que o oceano precisa.
Many have heard the statement “kids are the heroes of the future,” emphasizing that when children grow up they can be leaders, problem-solvers and take action. Hero Kids, a programme recently established by One Ocean Planet, gives kids the tools and connections they need to make change right now.
Through mentorship and collaboration with scientists and ocean leaders, Hero Kids supports children in developing their interests into tangible projects and campaigns. With guidance from adult mentors, participants learn about key ocean issues, identify where they want to contribute and develop practical ways to turn ideas into action.
“The ultimate goal of Hero Kids is to empower young people and show kids that they have agency,” explains Alexia Bergengren, Project Coordinator at One Ocean Planet and mentor for the Hero Kids. “They can take action without always leaving it up to the ‘grown ups.’ They have so much energy and ideas and they are showing the world that it doesn’t matter what age you are, we can all have a positive impact and inspire others to take action.”
Hero Kids addresses three Ocean Decade Challenges:
2 - Proteger e recuperar os ecossistemas e a biodiversidade
3 - Alimentar de forma sustentável a população mundial
10 - Restaurar a relação da sociedade com o oceano
Founded By Kids
Hero Kids began in 2025 when a young girl named Lily Niederhofer, age 11, worked on a project about octopi and learned about an octopus farm in Spain. She turned her concern into action and sought out One Ocean Planet to learn what she could do to help end octopus farming. This initial contact led to the formation of Hero Kids, co-founded by Lily.
Drawing on her skills as a competitive swimmer, Lily created the campaign Swim for Impact to fundraise and raise awareness about octopus farming. Her Octo-Defender Challenge raised US $12,000 and supported the movement to ban octopus farming in California, USA.
As an alumni and founder of Hero Kids, Lily acts as a mentor to her peers, encouraging their ideas and passions by using her own experiences.
“When you talk with your heart, people listen, and that’s when you can make an impact,” shares Lily. “I am always really excited to learn about the passions that current Hero Kids have and how I can help them tie those to real campaigns and projects that make a difference.”
Meet the Current Cohort
Since its founding, Hero Kids has grown into a global cohort of young changemakers:
Benton Schroeder (age 12) from Germany will set out on a 300-kilometer cycling journey from Spain to Portugal in early maio, spreading a message of awareness along the way. Concerned about the effects of bottom trawling — a fishing practice that drags nets along the seafloor — and how marine habitats are impacted, Benton will use his skills of competitive cycling to draw attention to solutions.
Where bottom trawling effects can be severe — habitat destruction, released carbon, loss of marine life — Benton has learned a new way of habitat restoration. Along his route, Benton will stop to host beach cleanups, speak with local communities and use storytelling to convey this message. Additionally, Benton looks to raise awareness about seaweed farming and how it combats the depletion of the ocean.
“Without the ocean floor, nothing can grow — it’s the foundation of life,” explains Benton. “Hero Kids gave me ‘the push’ and showed me I could actually help the ocean.”
You can follow Benton on social media at Cycle 2 Save. In addition to increasing community awareness, Benton is working toward a goal of raising £6,000 and more! You can support Benton’s cause here.
Virginia (age 14) is from the United Kingdom and has a strong passion for shark conservation. Sharks, as top predators, are important in balancing marine ecosystems, and Virginia looks to raise awareness for sharks in her school by showing a documentary featuring the work of Alex Hearn, a marine ecologist studying sharks in the Galápagos. Her goal is to shift the narrative around sharks,changing fear into understanding and care. At a school assembly, Virginia will also create an interactive card game to share with her classmates and reinforce the challenges and clarify the many misconceptions about sharks.
To support Virginia’s project, she asks you to educate yourself about sharks and spread your knowledge to increase their protection. Virginia will be raising money for Alex Hearn’s work in the Galápagos through her fundraiser here.
Kaylani (age 14) from California, USA, has a goal of reducing beach pollution and waste. From an early age, she cleaned beaches and educated her peers about the dangers of marine pollution. Through her campaign, H2O Protectors Club, she will promote Bebot, a solar-powered, beach cleaning robot. Bebot will be brought to Dana Point in Southern California to locate and dispose of buried glass, needles and plastic — harmful objects to both people and wildlife.
To support Kaylani’s campaign, you can help her raise £5,000 in her Hero Kids fundraiser. Kaylani will be selling recycled/upcycled jewelry and art, wooden whale tail magnets and will partner with agencies that support sustainable and eco-conscious whale watching.
“My favorite part of being in the Hero Kids programme is seeing real world change and collaborating with leaders,” shares Kaylani. “No matter where you live, you decide your impact on the ocean.”
Clio and Nina (ages 13 and 12) are sisters from the United Kingdom. They are on a mission to eliminate the use of single-use plastics in their school. Their goal is to empower schools to measure, understand and reduce their plastic usage. They are also working to develop the first single-use plastic certification for schools. They will also partner with Anderson Rocio, an American/Spanish singer and songwriter whose work blends cinematic pop and emotive storytelling with global consciousness, to create a song that will raise awareness for plastic pollution. You can follow the sisters on their social media platform, ClinaOcean.
Why this matters for the future of conservation
From local to global, conservation efforts need to be informed by science and backed by people with passion. Not only are children creative and enthusiastic communicators and storytellers, they want to be involved and engage with complex topics. As the future leaders of the world, they will also inherit the state of our planet and ocean, and hold stake in the ways we protect these ecosystems now.
Hero Kids empowers them to use their voice to share their knowledge and passion, translating science into relatable messages, which raise awareness and educate the public on real world challenges. The awareness then turns into action, because you need to know about something to care about something. When people care, they want to help.
“People are born with gifts that can make a difference,” shares Kaylani. “Hero Kids helps us find those gifts and use them.”
Como participar
Do you want to be a Hero Kid? If you’re a kid between the ages of 10 and 14 and have a passion for conservation and marine life, applications are currently open for the 2026-2027 cohort until abril 30, 2026.
To support individual projects, you can contribute to their fundraisers and follow Hero Kids on social media. To learn more about One Ocean Planet and their activities, visit their website.
“Young people don’t just want a seat at the table, they’re ready to lead,” says Dominique Lesser, Chief Education Officer at One Ocean Planet. “They bring passion, creativity and the time to turn ideas into action. When we empower them, they don’t just participate, they create real change.”
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