The Famous

Challenge

Action for Oceans

A competition for school students

#ForOceanHealth

supported by

in collaboration with
Wipro Partners with All-Female Sailing Crew
Aiming to Break the Record for the Fastest
Circumnavigation of the Globe

Wipro earthian is a sustainability education program, which fosters critical thinking in

sustainability through hands-on and contextual learning opportunities for students. The
program collaborates with institutions and faculty to strengthen sustainability thinking,
learning and action, which transfers into communities in meaningful ways.

The Wipro earthian school program engages schools in rural, semi-urban and urban areas
of India, through a network of government and non-government partners. As anchors of
education in schools, we believe that teachers are the focal points in disseminating
sustainability education and multiple yearly trainings are provided to them. There are
three themes offered by the program, which play out through an activity based annual
competition. The themes are water, waste and biodiversity.

In September 2023, Wipro undertook a global partnership relationship with The Famous
Project, an ambitious sporting challenge, which will see a team of the world’s very best top
female professional athletes take on the Jules Verne Trophy, the race to circumnavigate
the planet under sail, non-stop in 2025. Besides being a challenge to break records and
demonstrate the power of diversity, equity and inclusion, the project also holds
sustainability and ocean health as core to its mission. Skipper Alexia Barrier emphasizes
the importance of ocean health for school children through her non-profit 4myplanet.

We saw clear synergies between the objectives of the Wipro earthian program and The
Famous Project. The Famous Project's objective is focused on promoting sustainability
and the health of our oceans, and the focus of the Wipro earthian program has been to
enable students to foster their comprehension of environmental conditions, particularly
concerning issues such as waste management, water quality, and biodiversity loss. The
two projects will raise awareness and engage with students in India, France and the
Philippines, the Wipro earthian and the 4myplanet educational network. Through a long-
term engagement with these networks of schools, we look forward to a rich exchange of
ideas across projects.
Introduction
The Famous Challenge- 'Action for Oceans'
While it's easy to view our vast oceans as limitless, assuming that a small amount of
pollution is just "a drop in the ocean" and therefore insignificant, the reality is quite
different. The impact of pollution on our marine ecosystems is not only significant
but also devastating, with far-reaching effects on human health.

Plastic pollution in our oceans is a critical global issue. Each year, cities worldwide
generate millions of tons of plastic waste that end up in our oceans, posing a
substantial threat to marine ecosystems. This plastic debris, from large, discarded
fishing nets to microplastics, can harm and even kill marine life such as turtles,
seabirds, and whales that ingest or become entangled in it. It has been observed
recently that microplastics, which are tiny fragments less than 5mm in size, have
been known to enter the food chain when ingested by marine life, potentially
impacting human health.

So, where does all this waste come from? The reasons for ocean plastic pollution
are diverse, including littering, inadequate waste management, and industrial
leakage, among others. Single-use plastics are a significant contributor,
underscoring the urgent need for alternatives. This is clearly a global issue and calls
for a collective effort towards sustainable solutions.

Track the
journey of your
waste and its
impact on ocean
health.
Some examples and key facts of the impacts of plastic pollution on our oceans and
marine life are below:

Here’s a sobering thought- Research states that, by 2050, plastic will likely
outweigh all fish in the sea. Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced every
year, half of which is used to create single-use items such as shopping bags, cups,
and straws. When discarded improperly, plastic waste ends up in landfills, burnt,
end up in water bodies, rivers and eventually in our oceans. This leads to significant
Impacts on marine life. At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every
year. Plastic debris is currently the most abundant type of litter in the ocean, making
up 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.
Marine species ingest or are entangled by plastic debris, which causes severe
injuries and death.

As mentioned earlier, Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in

length. They originate from various sources, including cosmetics, clothing, food
packaging, and industrial processes. Microplastics are now known to be harmful to
both the environment and human and animal health. They enter natural ecosystems
and are often consumed by marine animals. Primary microplastics are already small
before entering the environment, while secondary microplastics result from the
breakdown of larger plastic items. Alarmingly, standard water treatment facilities
cannot remove all traces of microplastics. The long-term effects of microplastics on
human and animal health are still emerging and are still being studied.
Have you heard of the Pacific Garbage Patch? It is a vast area in the North Pacific
Ocean, filled with marine debris. It spans from North America's west coast to Japan.
The patch consists of two parts: the Western Garbage Patch near Japan, and the
Eastern Garbage Patch between Hawaii and California. The debris, mostly
microplastics, is not always visible to the naked eye. The patch is estimated to
cover 1.6 million square kilometres. Alarmingly, the patch is rapidly accumulating,
with the number of debris believed to have increased "10-fold each decade" since
1945.

Tackling plastic pollution requires a multi-faceted approach and requires and

concerted efforts from all stakeholders-Government, businesses, civil society and
individuals. A few immediate things we can do are, reduce our consumption of
single-use plastics and replace them with reusable alternatives. Carrying a reusable
water bottle can significantly cut down on plastic waste. Boycotting products with
microbeads and cooking more often can also help. Governments on the other hand,
can implement bans on single-use plastics. Improving waste management systems
and promoting a circular economy are crucial. Lastly, raising awareness about the
harmful effects of plastic pollution can drive behavioural changes. Each small step
contributes to a larger impact in combating this global issue.
The Challenge
The Famous Challenge: Action for Ocean is a video competition for students, which
aims to engage students globally on the topic of Oceans and the impact of human
activities, especially the waste that we generate, on its health.
We invite participation from students across three continents to capture through
their perspective, short videos on the impact of the waste generated in their local
areas and connect it to the impacts downstream that it is creating on the oceans.
We hope that students, through the lens of their cameras, will not only be made
aware of the enormity of the waste we generate, it’s impacts to the immediate
environs, but also crucially, the impacts on our oceans. Furthermore, we encourage
them to explore, discover, and critically think about the alternate measures that can
be implemented to reduce and to better manage our waste.

Objective
The goal of this challenge is to raise awareness and inspire students towards
looking at sustainable stewardship of our oceans. We aim to achieve this by
motivating school children globally to become citizen journalists. They will capture
engaging videos that underscore the significance of ocean conservation and waste
management, and their environmental impact. This competition is designed to
empower participants to champion the cause of ocean health, fostering positive
change within their local communities and beyond.

Eligibility
A group of maximum 5 students from grade 6 to 12 supported by 1 teacher.
Students are the primary contributors, owners, and representatives of this
challenge.
The teacher will act as a coordinator/facilitator.
Participate
Select your area of study- This could be your school campus, home, or locality.
Waste Scavenger Hunt- Conduct a scavenger hunt for the waste that’s seen in
your study area. Look at the types of waste you find.
Segregate the waste you find- What are the types of waste you have
discovered?
Reflect on and discuss the following-
a. Where do you think does the waste that you have observed
ultimately ends up? Track the journey of this waste.
b .Connect the path of the plastic waste you have found to the oceans.
c. Discuss the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecology.
Suggest measures can be undertaken to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans.
Share what you think are better and alternate ways to manage waste in our
cities.

What to Submit?
Keeping the above in mind, you will submit the following-

Create a short film of 3-5 minutes on the topic “Track the journey of your waste
and its impact on ocean health”. You can capture your entire journey of discovery
and reflections in your videos.
Teams will and write a small essay with a maximum of 300-500 words to describe
your observations, reflections, and learnings.
Please add the YouTube link in the report with the essay

Remember-

Your video should tell the story that tracks the journey of your waste and its
impact on ocean health.
There should be a clear understating and explanation of how plastic generated in
your areas is impacting the health of oceans.
Your video should explain what action(s) can be taken to reduce and better
manage the waste that we generate by you and your communities.

#ForOceanHealth
Guidelines
The structure of the video is important; making sure the audience can follow
your story clearly and fully understand all aspects featured in the video.
You can interview relevant individuals for your video. A few examples are waste
pickers, panchayat representatives, school/society management.
You can also conduct secondary research on topics such as “the effects of
marine plastic pollution” to understand the issue further.
Your video and report can be in your own language (if possible, try to get it
translated into English)

Technical guidelines for recording the video:

Pick a quiet place where you have good bright lighting.

Setup your phone and ideally use the back camera of your phone. You can use
a DSLR/Camcorder if available.
The total duration of the entire clip/video should not exceed 3-5 mins.
Shoot horizontal/in landscape mode.
Do not compress the video or share on WhatsApp as a video.
Please upload your video on YouTube and share the link with us. Your video
should have the title “The Famous Challenge- “Your School Name”.
Use a Bluetooth headset for clear transmission of audio if possible.
While shooting the video try to wear solid, pastel colours. Avoid checks, whites,
or thin stripes.

Note- You can use the Wipro earthian Sustainability and Waste document as a
reference document.
 Evaluation criteria
Creativity in documentation
Overall storytelling, clarity, and
cohesion
The video should make the story
easy to listen to, entertaining and
engaging. Your passion for ocean
health will shine through in the
video.

Recognition
One team from each state will
be selected as a winner.
E-Certificates for winners and
participants
Hamper for winning teams

Submit your report by

emailing it to the following address-
[email protected]

Deadline for Submission is

April 19, 2024

#ForOceanHealth
Learn and share
for a better
planet.