Volunteer

Ocean Girl Project Volunteers
Many volunteers say that helping others is one of the most rewarding things they’ve ever done…

No worries; you don’t have to know how to surf to  make an important impact in a child’s life.

Our active base of volunteers range from grade school children to senior citizens and are as diverse as the island community in which we live.

Come join our team and create positive waves in one or more of these capacities:

Volunteer Surf Instructors: general guidelines and requirements below.

Sponsors: help sponsor a girl or girls for a camp session, donate surf and sustainable gear, sponsor a healthy camp lunch, donate gently used surf/beach gear, lead a sustainable/surf camp presentation!!
Click:   Sponsors in meet some of our sustainable surf sponsors, adding more soon!

Beach Clean Up: participants and coordinators for  beach clean ups.

Behind the Scenes: There is plenty to do year round, including service organization presentations, grant writing, organizing and helping at fund-raising events, scheduling sustainable events, PR, picking up donations, accounting, thank you notes and more.

Board Drivers: In order to save gas and not over crowd the beaches we occasionally need drivers with trucks to bring or return surf boards.

We need many types of volunteers; below is specifically for those interested in surfing and ocean activities.

Contact: Ocean Girl Project Coordinator (Colleen Kudo) colleen@oceangirlproject.com

Surf Camp Role: volunteer Surf Instructors ensure that each girl has the safest and most positive experience possible when at camp.

The following is required to be a volunteer Surf Instructor:
• Being familiar and comfortable at local beaches, surfing and or other ocean activity.
• Good upper body strength and endurance.
• The ability to read the ocean and make a safe decision on entry and exiting the ocean.
• Strong swimming skills.
• Good leadership skills to keep the students relaxed and safe while they are taking direction from you.
• Basic First Aid skills.
• Basic knowledge of water lifesaving skills.
• Awareness of what is or will be the accumulative effects of our actions on the environment and its people
• Desire to make a difference!

What to Expect
• To be tired and sleep really well that night
• A lot of sun time (Hats/Visors vital, sunscreen mandatory)
• To be super hungry
• To feel wonderful and know that you made a difference!

Safety Policy for Volunteer Instructors and our Beach Crew

Remember that above all, common sense and ocean awareness will ensure that everybody has a safe and wonderful day at the beach.

General Surf Instructor Guidelines:
Students may be nervous, feel free to share with them about your beginning surfing experiences and how surfing/ocean has impacted your life. While in the water, stay alert and ready, you are their ocean advocate. While  surfing, if a girl becomes extremely anxious, and or can’t follow your directions, for safety’s sake alert the surf coordinator and bring them in immediately.

The following surf camp guidelines are for the safety of everyone:
1. The beach lesson area will be set-up away from the entrance/exit to the surf to avoid congestion.
2. Surf students must wear colorful rash guards at all times during beach instruction and in the ocean.
3. All students have to be able to swim, listen, follow directions and be able to relax.
4. On boat excursions, all students MUST wear a life vest.
5. On all field trips, students must wear seat belts.
6. At beach clean ups, students must wear gloves and may not pick up sharp objects such as glass, liquid or heavy items.
7. No one other than volunteers and surf students are allowed to use the equipment.
8. Maximum of Five (5) students in the water at any one time, no exceptions and always with (2)  instructors.
9. When equipment is not in use, it must be pulled well past the high water mark on beach and set in an area away from causing obstructions.
10. Only the Surf Camp Coordinator or designated staff should fetch or return the surf boards from/to the vehicles.

If you are interested in volunteering in any way, please send us an email
colleen@oceangirlproject.com .

Mahalo for making a difference with our children and their future!