Young sailing instructors awarded for their work for the Baltic Sea

With passionate commitment and innovative educational materials, two young sailing instructors have shown how the next generation can become both better sailors and better friends of the sea. Enya Ahldin and Filippa Söderbaum are now receiving the Baltic Sea Foundation’s Youth Award 2025.

The Baltic Sea Foundation Youth Award is awarded annually to people under 30 who have made an exemplary contribution to raising awareness of the state of the Baltic Sea. This year’s recipients, Enya Ahldin and Filippa Söderbaum, are being recognized for their inspiring work in spreading knowledge about sustainable boating among children and young people.

As instructors at the Royal Swedish Yacht Club’s (KSSS) summer camps, they have met hundreds of children each summer, teaching them both seamanship and environmental responsibility. To reach even more people, they developed, on a voluntary basis and in collaboration with the organization Voice of the Ocean, an educational toolkit on ocean awareness – easy to use out on an island or in a boat. The material has since spread and can now be used by instructors across Sweden through the Swedish Sailing Federation.

– This is a brilliant example of how young people can create solutions that gain wide impact. Through their material, Enya and Filippa have made it easier for hundreds of instructors to pass on knowledge, giving thousands of children the opportunity to understand and care for the sea,” says Sara Arons, Managing Director of the Baltic Sea Foundation.

The award consists of €5,000 and will be presented at the Baltic Sea Foundation’s annual award ceremony in Åland on September 26.

Award nomination

Enya Ahldin and Filippa Söderbaum are awarded the Youth Award for their inspiring commitment to educating young sailors in marine knowledge and sustainable boating. As sailing instructors at the Royal Swedish Yacht Club’s summer camps, they have not only taught the next generation of sailors seamanship, but also how to take responsibility for the ocean and the environment. Together, they have developed customized educational materials that make it easy for more sailing instructors to share this knowledge. The material has been adopted by the Swedish Sailing Federation, which is now distributing it to sailing schools across Sweden. Through their dedication and innovative thinking, Enya and Filippa have made a significant contribution to the protection of the Baltic Sea – now and for the future.

Contacts
Sara Arons, Managing Director, Baltic Sea Foundation
+358 457 345 9889 (AX), +46 733 72 00 96 (SE)
sara.arons@ostersjofonden.org 

More material
Photos of the awardees
Film with the awardees