SSI Education ProgramSakhalin Salmon Initiative

For our conservation efforts to achieve positive results in the long-term, they must accompanied by a serious investment in environmental education. The SSI Center began implementing the SSI Education Project in 2007, awarding four small grants to local environmental education NGOs. In 2008, the program will be expanded, with the goal of awarding one small grant in each of the island's 14 municipal regions.

Other projects are included within the Education Program. In 2007, a blog entitled "Smolt" was created to facilitate communications between Oregonian and Sakhalin high schoolers. SSI hopes to continue developing this medium of communication and begin conducting educational exchanges in the near future.

The creation of the Sakhalin Oblast SSI Education Center is also envisioned for 2008. This Center will offer a continuing environmental education program and a children's environmental education program. The Center will be housed within Sakhalin State University and will include modern computer and laboratory equipment. Multimedia educational programs from Moscow State University will be employed, while, through a partnership with the University of Oregon's Center for the Advancement of Technology in Education, Sakhalin-specific multimedia curricula will also be developed.

Download a copy of the 2008 work plan for this and other SSI projects.