Port Houston Joins NAMEPA and Expands Educational Impact with Community Grant
Houston, TX – August 6, 2024 — The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) proudly announces two significant developments: Port Houston has joined NAMEPA and has selected NAMEPA as a recipient of the Port Houston 2024 Community Grant Program to deploy its Adopt A Ship Program.
Port Houston has long been a leader in integrating sustainable practices into its operations, setting an industry benchmark for environmental stewardship. This partnership with NAMEPA will further enhance Port Houston’s dedication to advancing sustainable maritime practices and environmental protection.
The Port Houston Community Grant Program award marks a pivotal expansion for NAMEPA’s Adopt A Ship Program, which will now be introduced to the Greater Houston Port Community. This initiative is set to enhance local students’ knowledge of the maritime industry, bridging the gap between classrooms and real-world maritime experiences. The Adopt A Ship Program, acclaimed internationally, connects students with seafarers through a dynamic curriculum and interactive engagement. Students interact with senior officers aboard ships via weekly emails, track the ships’ global journeys on a map, and participate in various activities, including assessments and video calls.
“NAMEPA has long enjoyed a valuable and productive partnership through Port Houston’s Maritime Education initiative” observed Carleen Lyden Walker, NAMEPA’s Co-Founder/CEO. “This new membership reinforces our shared mission to support and enrich the Houston community through educational and environmental initiatives. The grant and ongoing collaboration highlight NAMEPA’s commitment to advancing sustainable maritime practices and fostering a greater appreciation for the marine environment among youth.”
“For more than a decade, Port Houston has been committed to educating high school and college students on the value and importance of the maritime industry through career exploration initiatives and community and industry partnerships,” said Roger Guenther, Executive Director, Port Houston. “This partnership with NAMEPA and the expansion of the Adopt A Ship Program to port communities will help bring these initiatives to more students and further our mission to support the next generation of maritime leaders.”
For more information about NAMEPA and its initiatives, please visit www.namepa.net
Contact: Molly Dushay, Executive Director, North American Marine Environment Protection Association (m.dushay@namepa.net)
About Port Houston
For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the eight public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship Channel complex and its more than 200 private and eight public terminals is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports 1.54 million jobs in Texas and 3.37 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $439 billion in Texas – nearly 20 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product (GDP) – and $906 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website at PortHouston.com.
About North American Marine Environment Protection Association
The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) is a maritime industry-led organization of environmental stewards preserving the marine environment by promoting sustainable marine industry best practices and educating seafarers, students, and the public about the need and strategies for protecting global ocean, lake, and river resources. For more information visit www.namepa.net.