Earlier this month (3–5 February), a group of Turkish educators visited the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC) of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) for an immersive training experience under the SHORE European Project, in collaboration with Dr. Yolanda Koulouri.
About SHORE 🌍
SHORE is a European-funded project dedicated to bringing ocean literacy into classrooms by equipping teachers with marine science knowledge, digital tools, and immersive technologies like VR — and a sister project of BlueLights, both sharing a commitment to ocean education across Europe. 🌊
Over three days, the teachers attended presentations on marine topics, explored the aquarium, engaged in discussions about ocean biodiversity and sustainability — and filmed the material they needed to bring their own VR projects to life back in their classrooms.
But what did they take away from it all? We asked them — and their answers say it all.
💬 “Thanks to this training, we are increasing our own awareness and are able to more effectively convey environmental awareness, sustainability, and a sense of responsibility to our students.”
💬 “These programs do not merely refresh knowledge — they deepen the teacher’s perspective, enhance their awareness, and make classroom practices more meaningful.“
On the power of VR as an educational tool, the teachers were equally enthusiastic:
💬 “VR makes learning more concrete, especially for abstract topics students cannot experience firsthand. VR experiences with environmental and ocean themes help students develop empathy and gain a deeper understanding of the subject.”
💬 “VR takes students out of the role of passive listeners and places them at the center of learning.“
One school — İstiklal Primary School — has already begun collecting materials and creating content for VR use in their classrooms. This is exactly the kind of ripple effect that cross-border educational collaboration can create.
Like the story of the starfish on the shore, or the butterfly effect — one training, one teacher, one classroom at a time. 🦋
🔗 Learn more about the SHORE project: https://shoreproject.eu/
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