Recently, I decided to take an initiative and become a 100% Project AWARE supporter. I have always thought it would be difficult to promote being that we live in the desert and that most of the training I conduct is in fresh water lakes with the occasional trip to the ocean. I never actively promoted Project AWARE until I read about the 100% supporter program.

While reviewing information on enrolling in the PADI CDTC I came across the program and after talking about it with my Course Director, I looked into it a little more and decided that this was the program where I want to focus my efforts.

I have just recently teaching my classes as a 100% supporter. During orientation, I mention that I will make a contribution on behalf of the student to Project AWARE and that they will receive a special certification card. I then issue a challenge to all students to match or exceed my contribution to further the efforts of Project AWARE. Usually, once I show them the card they will receive that is enough, but when I tell them about the efforts that Project AWARE focuses on, I usually receive a match donation from them. I share with them the Issues and Projects that Project AWARE is committed too. I also have available for them the hand out "10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet" from http://www.projectaware.org/resource/ten-tips-divers-protect-ocean-planet and I link the "Our World, Our Water manual available at  http://www.projectaware.org/resource/project-aware-our-world-our-water-manual to them for a reference at how fragile our Ocean environment is.

Earlier this year, I worked on a special project called "One Night for One Drop", http://www.onedrop.org, and I had the honor of working with a slam poet named In-Q (http://www.in-q.com). He created a segment for the show and to paraphrase what he said, ~Cast a pebble, create a ripple, cast a million, see a change.~

My contribution to Project AWARE is small, however as an Instructor, I can reach a much broader base and help become that change. I have an ability to effect a change with my student base and we can reach much more from our land locked state of Nevada. Acting locally, thinking globally.

Visit my website, http://www.sincitydivers.com to see our students in action.