PADI Islands

Sea the Change, a global conservation contest, has launched and YOU can enter.

You can use this contest to create excitement in your business and invite customers to do something good for the environment (while bundling your products and services). For ideas, download the fact sheet from the Pros Site Marketing Toolbox for Sea the Change

People have two ways to participate:

1. 1. Enter  Sea the Change by uploading a video clip about the underwater world they love and what they are doing to protect it. (Participants can enter as many videos as they wish)
   2. Share videos with friends on Facebook , Twitter and other places. Vote for their favorite videos.

The entrant with the most votes wins a $5000 US grand prize. Plus, the PADI organization will donate an additional $5000 US to the Project AWARE Foundation in honor of the winner.

The strength of Sea the Change is its capacity to leverage the viral nature of social media.  Anyone can vote on and share these video entries with their Facebook friends with the click of a mouse. This means the conservation effort has the ability to build huge momentum as more people share with their friends throughout the year.

Sea the Changewill not only promote aquatic environmental consciousness, it will also raise public awareness of scuba diving. As a professional dive leader or store owner, you can organize a community conservation project to attract and engage customers. Entries can be submitted as a group project or by individuals. Conservation initiatives also offer fun reasons to bundle entry level certifications and specialty courses, allowing customers to increase their skills while doing something good for the environment. These efforts are also a great way to capture the attention of local news channels, newspapers and online media, exposing your message to an even broader audience.

Will you be the first to upload a video entry and get your name in front of divers locally and around the globe?  To learn more about how to benefit from Sea the Change and use the power of social media for your own business, download the fact sheet from the Pros Site Marketing Toolbox for Sea the Change

Your student divers can start taking action for marine conservation as soon as they complete a diving course by choosing to receive the Project AWARE version of their PADI certification card, or by replacing their current card.

For a minimum donation of £10 or more, any diver can sport the new Humpback Whale card and know 100 percent of their gift supports protection for the environment they love the most.

Over the 21 years of AWARE, the minimum donation amount has always been £5, so we are increasing it to be consistent globally and consistent with global cost increases. The figure closely matches what is currently being donated by each PIC as most donations come in at £10 and over.

Your participation matters.60 percent of Project AWARE donations come through the PADI Certification process. Use these tools and challenge your students to choose the only card choice that contributes to underwater conservation:

1. Use the New Whale Card Poster to promote the card to your students.
2. Build support into every course. Simply add £10 minimum donation to the course price and let divers know it supports protection for underwater environments.
3. Download the Whale c-card image. Use it to promote the AWARE card scheme on your website.
4. Email Us to Go 100% AWARE via PIC Online and certify all your students with the Project AWARE card.

Generous support of the certification card program has helped Project AWARE underwrite many successful projects and programs such as shark protection, underwater cleanups and coral monitoring in 2010.

As they prepare to re-launch the long standing organisation on 08^th June 2011 with a new mission, vision and strategies for ocean health and abundance they need your help more than ever before.

Thanks for your ongoing commitment and support to PADI’s environmental charity Partner.