Pay It Forward - SALT Congratulates recent graduate!
Congratulations Alisha Douglas on completing your pay it forward project and your Open Water Scuba Certification.
Kayla & Alisha on Toucari Beach after her final Open Water Dive for her PADI Certification
Born and Raised in Toucari Dominica Alisha has always had a love for the ocean, and dreams of scuba diving. These were dreams she thought impossible until the pay it forward program. Her pay it forward project was to create, distribute and present a flyer about coral reefs, their threats and how we can help save them. She did some thoughtful research, found out some shocking information, learned how to design a flyer, and produced a really informative graphic design!
Through her project, and while learning to dive, Alisha presented her flyer to Dominica’s Prime Minister and other Ministers at a local restaurant where they were dining! She also presented the flyer to groups of locals and tourists at beaches and events around the North of the Island, she even presented at our Earth Day Dive Against Debris Event!
Through her pay it forward project she has been able to share her love for the reef and hopefully spread information that will prevent further degradation to our beloved coral reefs! She was also able to inspire people of all ages, local and foreign to care for reefs through their actions on land, and to spread the knowledge she imparted on them!
Alisha not only completed her project with enthusiasm, but she overcame her own health hurdles to complete her open water certification!
Shayla & Alisha doing their pre-dive safety check
As soon as she was certified she continued to pay it forward by making her first official ‘certified dives’ dedicated dives against debris! She took part in our Earth Day Cleanup as a diver on 2 dives where she met and inspired two other teen divers to join the tribe and apply for the pay it forward program!
Though she has completed her first pay it forward project and her open water certification, we are happy to say that is not the end for Alisha. Thanks to the generosity of private donors, we are able to sponsor continuing education programs for our graduates!
She will continue to pay it forward by collecting coral health data, mentoring other pay it forward program participants and working on her PADI Advanced, and PADI Rescue Certifications this summer!
To become a donor/sponsor of our pay it forward program please CLICK HERE
If you are a teen living in Dominica and interested in learning to swim, snorkel, scuba dive or continue your dive education and are interested applying to the Pay it forward Program CLICK HERE
