[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13156]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        IN HONOR OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF O'NEILL SEA ODYSSEY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 20, 2016

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 20th anniversary of 
O'Neill Sea Odyssey, a remarkable science education organization based 
in Santa Cruz, California. It started as the brainchild of Jack 
O'Neill, the inventor of the modern wetsuit worn by surfers, divers, 
kayakers, and other water enthusiasts the world over. Now 93, Jack 
spent much of the last 60 years building the wetsuit company that bears 
his name into an internationally recognized brand of excellence.
  Throughout that time, Jack retained and grew a deep commitment to 
protecting the oceans as well as an unbinding love for the Santa Cruz 
coast and the Monterey Bay that he has called home since 1959. In 1996, 
he founded O'Neill Sea Odyssey as a community based non-profit 
dedicated to educating school children about the ocean science and the 
ocean environment. The program is located in Santa Cruz Harbor and 
takes 4th, 5th, and 6th graders onto Monterey Bay on a specially 
equipped sail catamaran to teach the fundamentals of science and 
environmental stewardship.
  Under the long term leadership of executive director Dan Haifley, the 
program has grown into an innovative education program that 
incorporates a curriculum in line with the latest Common Core and Next 
Generation Science Standards. The program's instructors enjoy a three 
to one ratio with students. They teach mathematics using navigation 
techniques; marine ecology, including the kelp forest, marine mammals, 
and human impacts on Monterey Bay; and marine biology, focused on 
examining and learning about plankton as a basis for study of the 
marine food web. Lessons taught during the ocean-going field trip are 
supplemented with in-classroom curriculum that participating students 
can use. Over 90,000 students have experienced this remarkable program 
since its inception, and that number grows every year.
  In June of 2016, O'Neill Sea Odyssey entered into a partnership with 
Public Consulting Group's education department to distribute the OSO 
curriculum nationally through Pepper, PCG's online curriculum 
development tool for teachers. The goal is for teachers and district 
administrators to use the OSO curriculum for their required continuing 
education units, helping teachers to reach their learning goals through 
marine science education.
  In 2004, O'Neill Sea Odyssey earned the Governor's Environmental and 
Economic Leadership Award. Other awards and include: Senator Boxer's 
2008 Environmental Champion award; the Adam Webster Memorial Fund 
received the Community Spinners award; and The Silicon Valley Business 
Journal's Community Impact Award, to name just a few.
  Mr. Speaker, I know that I speak for the whole House in both 
congratulating and thanking Jack O'Neill, Dan Haifley, and the whole 
Sea Odyssey crew, from its board, boat pilot, and instructors to its 
interns and participating teachers. The world is a better place because 
of your efforts. Congratulations on 20 years of success. We look 
forward to many more.

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