{"id":915280,"date":"2026-06-25T03:12:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/meet-the-generation17-young-leaders-the-story-of-jose-francisco-ochoa\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T03:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:12:15","slug":"meet-the-generation17-young-leaders-the-story-of-jose-francisco-ochoa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/meet-the-generation17-young-leaders-the-story-of-jose-francisco-ochoa\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Generation17 Young Leaders: The Story of Jos\u00e9 Francisco Ochoa"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Jos\u00e9 Francisco Ochoa is a member of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.undp.org\/generation17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Generation17<\/a>, a Samsung and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.undp.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)<\/a> partnership empowering young people who are contributing to the <a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Global Goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2020, Generation17 has supported Young Leaders worldwide with Samsung Galaxy technology, mentorship and networking opportunities to amplify their stories and solutions.<\/p>\n<p>On the coast of San Jacinto in northwest Ecuador, a group of university students are up before dawn, combing the shoreline by red light so as not to disturb the sea turtles nesting nearby. For some of the students, it\u2019s the first time they have ever seen the ocean. As the sun rises, they head out to tour mangroves by boat. They later return to clean plastic waste from the beach before heading back to the classroom to learn how it all connects to ocean conservation and climate action.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G9GR5D907_Y?rel=0\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span style=\"width: 0px;overflow: hidden;line-height: 0\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This is what <a href=\"https:\/\/academiadeloceano.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Academia del Oc\u00e9ano<\/a> looks like in practice: hands-on science education that has long been out of reach for Spanish-speaking communities. The organization was co-founded by Jos\u00e9 Francisco Ochoa, a biologist from southern Ecuador whose love of nature led him to ocean science and to a belief that protecting our environment starts with making science education accessible.<\/p>\n<p>Together with three colleagues, Juan Fernando Pes\u00e1ntez, Nicole Auz and Francisca Hern\u00e1ndez, Jos\u00e9 Francisco set out to bridge that language gap. \u201cOcean and climate science is often only in English,\u201d Jos\u00e9 Francisco Ochoa says. \u201cThat means entire communities have been left out of the conversation \u2014 and the solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"527\" src=\"https:\/\/img.global.news.samsung.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/22164046\/Samsung-Mobile-Generation17-Global-Goals-Jose-Francisco-Ochoa_Main1.jpg\" alt=\"In the classroom at Academia del Oc\u00e9ano's coastal center, roughly five hours from Ecuador's capital, Jos\u00e9 Francisco connects marine science to local conservation challenges. \"><figcaption>\u25b2 In the classroom at Academia del\u00a0Oc\u00e9ano\u2019s\u00a0coastal center,\u00a0roughly five\u00a0hours from Ecuador\u2019s capital, Jos\u00e9 Francisco connects marine science to\u00a0local\u00a0conservation challenges.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Science in Spanish<\/h2>\n<p>Jos\u00e9 Francisco grew up surrounded by nature, always curious about the world around him. \u201cI wanted to explore,\u201d he says. \u201cI always wanted to work in the field, with the community.\u201d He channeled that curiosity into a biology degree and a career in ocean conservation.<\/p>\n<p>The deeper he dove, the more clearly he saw the language barrier at work. It was more than an inconvenience. It limited who could enter the profession and help protect the ocean.<\/p>\n<p>So, in 2023, Jos\u00e9 Francisco and his colleagues founded Academia del Oc\u00e9ano \u2014 one of the first ocean education centers in Ecuador to teach entirely in Spanish. Their mission: to democratize access to ocean and climate science, advancing the UN\u2019s Global Goal for quality education (<a href=\"https:\/\/globalgoals.org\/goals\/4-quality-education\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/globalgoals.org\/goals\/4-quality-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Goal 4<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>At their coastal center in San Jacinto, courses cover marine biology, ocean conservation and citizen science. Their curriculum supports the Global Goals for life below water (<a href=\"https:\/\/globalgoals.org\/goals\/14-life-below-water\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/globalgoals.org\/goals\/13-climate-action\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Goal 14<\/a>) and climate action (<a href=\"https:\/\/globalgoals.org\/goals\/13-climate-action\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/globalgoals.org\/goals\/13-climate-action\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Goal 13<\/a>). In addition, a certified partnership with one of Ecuador\u2019s top universities gives students credentials in marine conservation and marine biology to jumpstart their careers. \u201cWe are empowering young people to be leaders in their communities through education and technology,\u201d says Jos\u00e9 Francisco.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/img.global.news.samsung.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/22164057\/Samsung-Mobile-Generation17-Global-Goals-Jose-Francisco-Ochoa_Main2.jpg\" alt=\"Jos\u00e9 Francisco and students remove plastic waste from San Jacinto's shoreline, putting ocean conservation into practice beyond the classroom. \"><figcaption>\u25b2 Jos\u00e9 Francisco and students remove plastic waste from San Jacinto\u2019s shoreline, putting ocean conservation into practice beyond the classroom.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Scaling the Mission<\/h2>\n<p>Beyond San Jacinto, Academia del Oc\u00e9ano reaches students across more than 10 countries through virtual programming and an active online community \u2014 bringing ocean and climate education in Spanish to wherever students are. To power that content, Jos\u00e9 Francisco and his team use AI to develop curriculum and create multimedia resources that break down complex scientific language into accessible lessons.<\/p>\n<p>Their impact is growing. Since 2023, Academia del Oc\u00e9ano has trained more than 10,000 students, awarded over 500 certifications in ocean science, planted more than 2,200 mangrove seeds and released roughly 5,000 sea turtle hatchlings. \u201cMany of our students go on to work in ocean conservation and environmental science,\u201d says Jos\u00e9 Francisco, \u201ctaking what they\u2019ve learned back to their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kerly Martinez, a 2025 graduate, says the program inspired her to start an ecotourism company. \u201cWe talk about responsible tourism, conservation, waste and plastic issues,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I learned all of this right here in Academia del Oc\u00e9ano.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The organization has also been recognized as an official activity of the <a href=\"https:\/\/oceandecade.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ocean Decade<\/a>, a global initiative coordinated by UNESCO\u2019s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission to advance ocean science through 2030.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"527\" src=\"https:\/\/img.global.news.samsung.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/22164107\/Samsung-Mobile-Generation17-Global-Goals-Jose-Francisco-Ochoa_Main3.jpg\" alt=\"A student uses a species identification app on a Samsung Galaxy phone to identify a shell collected on San Jacinto's coast \u2014 technology making field research accessible in real time. \"><figcaption>\u25b2 A student uses a species identification app\u00a0on a Samsung Galaxy phone\u00a0to\u00a0identify\u00a0a shell collected on San Jacinto\u2019s coast \u2014 technology making field research accessible in real time.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Just the Beginning<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Jos\u00e9 Francisco\u2019s vision for the future extends well beyond Ecuador\u2019s coast. He hopes to expand what he and his colleagues have built to reach more Spanish-speaking communities, equipping a new generation to protect their local ecosystems and contribute to ocean research in their own regions. \u201cMy dream is that Academia del Oc\u00e9ano becomes the greatest platform in the world in terms of ocean education and environmental action,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>For the students arriving at San Jacinto\u2019s shoreline for the first time and for the millions across Latin America who have never had ocean science in their own language, that dream is already taking shape.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.samsung.com\/global\/meet-the-generation17-young-leaders-the-story-of-jose-francisco-ochoa\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Samsung Newsroom<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jos\u00e9 Francisco Ochoa is a member of Generation17, a Samsung and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnership empowering young people who are contributing to the Global Goals. Since 2020, Generation17 has supported Young Leaders worldwide with Samsung Galaxy technology, mentorship and networking opportunities to amplify their stories and solutions. On the coast of San Jacinto<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":915281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25583,46,1649],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-915280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-generation","category-technology","category-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/915280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=915280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/915280\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/915281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=915280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=915280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=915280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}