Join the European network of Blue Schools and bring the ocean into the classroom
Join the network of schools active for the ocean “European B…
The European Blue Schools network is an initiative of the European Commission, promoted by IOC-UNESCO, which aims to involve schools, teachers, and students in Ocean Literacy programs through the development of educational projects and the inclusion of marine themes in the school curriculum. This is a bottom-up approach that promotes collective participation for a healthy ocean and responsible use of marine resources.
The goal is to bring marine issues to school desks by making students, families and teachers understand how we all depend on the ocean and how our actions have a strong impact on it. In a European Blue School, teachers and students themselves become agents of change and promoters of the sustainability of the ocean and the seas.
Un’onda di cambiamento per il futuro della scuola
Teachers in Europe’s Blue Schools are waves of change for the future of education and inspiration for their students. Through the adoption of Ocean Education in school curricula, they help students develop knowledge and understanding of the mutual influence between society and the ocean, understand the importance of marine biodiversity and raise awareness of the state of the seas.
“The international community must make education one of the pillars of its action for the ocean. Because if we want to protect it better, we must teach it better. At the One Ocean Summit, I set a common goal for our 193 Member States: to include ocean education in school curricula by 2025”
Audrey Azoulay, General Director UNESCO – Brest (France), One Ocean Summit 2022
It is therefore essential that the ocean becomes an integral part of school curricula worldwide. Following the statement by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, the European Commission invites teachers and education service staff of all disciplines to sign up and take part in the European Blue Schools network to bring the ocean into the classroom. UNESCO not only involves schools in the process but, through the project “A new Blue Curriculum: a toolkit for policy-makers”, also collaborates with curriculum developers, ministries, governments, civil society and education stakeholders to achieve a common goal.
WHta are the Blue Schools?
Blue Schools are schools, both inland and coastal, that consider the ocean as a central part of the school curriculum. Blue Schools foster a new generation of citizens and future leaders who are informed, active and responsible towards marine issues.
Through the inclusion of marine issues in the curriculum or the launch of ad hoc projects, teachers and pupils improve their understanding of the ocean and develop a sense of responsibility towards our Planet.
The European Commission programme will work closely and in collaboration with the network of UNESCO associated schools and the IOC-UNESCO Ocean Education programme “New Blue Curriculum: a toolkit for policymakers” with the aim of including marine issues in the school curricula of 193 countries by 2025.
Why join the Blue Schools network?
Unendosi alla rete europea di Blue Schools, insegnanti ed educatori diventeranno ambasciatori dell’Educazione all’Oceano, generando una maggiore consapevolezza nei giovani in quanto attori principali del cambiamento per un oceano più sostenibile.
L’Educazione all’Oceano contribuisce allo sviluppo di una più ampia e attiva cittadinanza europea grazie all’acquisizione di abilità e competenze marine, skills di leadership e lavori di squadra attivi, critici e responsabili per costruire una generazione capace di affrontare le sfide locali e globali dell’Agenda 2030.
La condivisione e la collaborazione a livello nazionale ed internazionale permetterà un supporto notevole ed immediato per affrontare le sfide ambientali. Infine, la partecipazione delle scuole verrà ulteriormente riconosciuta mediante la certificazione ufficiale di European Blue Schools.
By joining the European Blue Schools network, teachers and educators will become ambassadors of Ocean Education, raising awareness among young people as key players in the change for a more sustainable ocean.
Ocean Education contributes to the development of a broader and more active European citizenship through the acquisition of marine skills and competences, leadership skills and active, critical and responsible teamwork to build a generation capable of addressing the local and global challenges of the 2030 Agenda.
Sharing and collaborating at national and international level will allow significant and immediate support to address environmental challenges. Finally, the participation of schools will be further recognized through the official certification of European Blue Schools.
How to become a Blue School?
Do you want to become part of the European Blue Schools network? All you need to do is propose a project that follows these criteria:
- Interdisciplinarity: the project must present a central theme interconnected with various complementary activities, involving the different subjects and addressing the theme from different points of view.
- Clear objective: the project must have a clear, defined, achievable and measurable main objective.
- Involvement: students must play an active and defined role in the project. Teachers and educators act as facilitators in the implementation of the project, making students independent and responsible for its development.
- Collaboration: Including a local partner in the project is a key component, as the aim is to involve the widest possible audience. This could be a research institute, an NGO, a company or in any case a figure able to facilitate the development of the project by the students.
- Communication: Ocean Education sees communication as a key enabler of change. Communicating project outcomes comprehensively within the local community and stakeholders is an essential element of transparency and student accountability.
The EU4Ocean coalition
The Blue Schools Network program is part of the broader EU4Ocean initiative, the European Coalition for the Ocean, which companies, organizations, foundations and institutions can join to contribute to the protection of the seas.
The EU4Ocean coalition aims to connect entities, projects, people and educational initiatives to increase the connection between society and the ocean with the ultimate goal of contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, with particular attention to SDG14 “Life below water”.
