In 2003, the OLE's Southwest Division embarked on an innovative way to participate in the numerous community relations events, while still conducting extensive investigations and patrols.

To achieve this goal, Enforcement officer Rick Hawkins — Southwest Division, devised and launched the Conservation Education Corp (CEC) program.

The program, designed to assist both the OLE and the communities which they serve, recruited volunteers from the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). RSVP is part of Senior Corps, a network of national service programs that provides older Americans the opportunity to apply their life experience to meeting community needs.

These volunteers underwent an intense two-week training program with courses on NOAA's organization and infrastructure, the OLE mission, laws and regulations, wildlife/marine biology, safety and first aid, and computer use. Throughout the coming years, these volunteers will begin planning, organizing and participating in events across the Southwest Division to educate the public about our coasts, the OLE and the need to preserve our ocean.

These volunteers are uniformed outreach and education specialists and provide information at public events, educational forums, at local marinas/aquariums and in the public schools.

The very first class of NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement CEC Volunteers graduated on Dec 18, 2003 with a ceremony at the Federal Building in Long Beach, CA.