CHONBURI, Thailand – On September 17-18, 2011, 35 Thailand State Alumni from 5 U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs, including Youth Exchange and Study (YES), Study in the U.S. Institutes (SUSI), International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Global Undergraduate Exchange (Global UGRAD), and English Access Microscholarship (Access), helped a local community in Samaesan Village, Chonburi Province, plant units of coral back into the sea. The project aims to raise environmental awareness among youth and also encourage alumni to work together on a common cause for society.

The activity started with a local leader giving information to participants about the types of coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand and the causes of their destruction, including water pollution, global warming, and human activities. After the presentation, alumni snorkeled to a floating platform where they planted young coral in PVC pipes, after which trained divers took them down to an assigned zone at the bottom of the ocean. As part of the “Coral Reefs Planting and Environmental Protection Project,” alumni also took an educational field trip to the Thai Island and Sea Natural History Museum to learn about Thailand’s islands, seas, and their ecosystems, through an education and conservation tour of the museum. This two-day program also included team-building activities and sessions in which participants shared experiences and future project ideas with their fellow State Alumni.