EWG Students Attend This Year’s “Great Ocean Race”

Students from EWG got the unique opportunity to witness an annual global event with the purpose of promoting a good cause.

This past Wednesday, May 17th, a group of students from various EWG science courses had the unique opportunity to attend the 2023 “Great Ocean Race.” This race is an annual event in which sailboats race around the world, with the goal of spreading awareness of the importance of conservation and sustainability. This year’s race will last over six months in total, visiting nine famous cities around the globe. Just last week, the race concluded its fourth leg, landing it in Newport, Rhode Island, allowing EWG students an opportunity to witness the event in-person.

The event consisted of various booths where students could learn about the race, conservation efforts, and local sustainability efforts. Wednesday’s showcase alone hosted over 1,000 attendees. Students who attended reported that they enjoyed several aspects of the event, including visiting the many exhibiting booths available, and the nearby historical fort they were able to explore and learn about.

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^{Photos from the 2023 “Great Ocean Race” in Newport depicting racing sailboats, historic boats, educational booths, and more.}

Unfortunately, however, not every aspect of the day was perfect. Due to weather conditions, students weren’t able to experience sailing on the racing boats, and additionally, due to the amount of people attending, students report that the event was a bit overcrowded. This made it so, even though there was lots to do, not everyone could fully experience it. Adding on to their less-than-ideal day was that fact that the “educational piece was a little lacking,” according to Ms. Ward. While there was much to do and see, attending students reported that their overarching goal of sustainability and conservation wasn’t as heavily promoted as they thought it would be.

While their experience wasn’t perfect, the students were grateful to get to experience this global event. Ms. Ward summed up their overall sentiments in her statement: “I would [go] again, but I would have them do it differently.”