Funded Projects
Finland
Name of school: Oriveden yhteiskoulu
City, country: Orivesi, Finland
Objectives of the project
The project aimed to strengthen Baltic Sea and sustainability education within the school community, increase awareness about daily actions that protect the Baltic Sea, and foster international collaboration through the UNESCO Baltic Sea Project network and eTwinning. It also sought to build a more informed, engaged community by involving local schools, kindergartens, residents, and partner organizations.
Activities
The project engaged the entire school community through a range of activities. A major highlight was the two-day “Baltic Sea Matters – Orivesi Blue Lights” event at Oriveden Kampus (9–10 April 2025), which brought together local kindergartens and schools, UNESCO BSP network schools, Erasmus+ guests, and residents for poster exhibitions, information sessions, and expert-led workshops. Students and teachers participated in the eTwinning project Water Connects with a German partner school, promoting cross-border learning on water protection.
Despite venue challenges that prevented a planned town hall exhibition, the school successfully organized a “Baltic Sea Matters” info event on 15 May 2025, offering exhibitions, learning materials, and a Baltic Sea To-Do list challenge for the whole school.
Expected outputs
Expected outputs included educational materials and exhibitions promoting Baltic Sea protection, an eBook compiling resources and project presentations, and strengthened international partnerships. The project also expected increased awareness across the school community, integration of sustainability topics into future school activities, and progress toward joining the European Blue Schools network.
Impact
The project generated strong engagement: 25 students were directly involved, while around 1,000 pupils from Orivesi and UNESCO BSP network schools participated indirectly. An additional 50 students and 1,200 participants from the eTwinning partner school were involved.
The initiative successfully connected schools, experts, and the wider Orivesi community, deepened students’ understanding of marine protection, and established long-term collaboration plans—both locally and internationally. The project’s activities will continue annually, ensuring lasting impact on sustainability education in Orivesi.
Name of school: Salo Upper Secondary School (Salon lukio)
City, country: Salo, Finland
Objectives of the project
The project aimed to deepen students’ understanding of the Baltic Sea ecosystem, its history, and conservation challenges through a multidisciplinary course combining biology, geography, history, and art. It also sought to provide hands-on field research experience, strengthen environmental literacy, and produce educational materials that could be shared within the school community and beyond.
Activities
The project began with a series of pr: eliminary lectures on the geography and nature of the Archipelago Sea and the history of Seili Island. Students then participated in preparatory sessions to develop projects across different subjects, accompanied by a Baltic Sea–themed quiz. The highlight was a field course on Seili Island at the Archipelago Research Institute, where students collected littoral flora and fauna, identified species in the lab using microscopy, and learned about restoration ecology by visiting actively restored landscapes.
Due to lab time constraints, only one full day of seawater laboratory access was available, which limited the depth of species studies but did not hinder the overall learning experience.
Expected outputs
Expected outputs included student projects, visual materials, and documentation from the field course; an exhibition presented at the school; reusable programs for the course and field days; and online materials shared via social media. These outputs were intended to support future iterations of the course and to inspire other schools to implement similar Baltic Sea–focused activities.
Impact
Twenty students were directly involved in the course, with the number limited by the laboratory’s capacity. Around 400 students viewed the week-long school exhibition, complemented by wider public engagement through the school’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. The project increased awareness of Baltic Sea ecology, provided valuable field-based learning, and strengthened the school’s commitment to continuing the course every two years. The published virtual field course and shared materials also broadened the project’s reach beyond the immediate school community.
(Facebook and Instagram), / Photographs from Seili Island (student Emilia Valde)Greece
Name of school: 45th Primary School of Heraklion, Crete (45ο Δημοτικό Σχολείο Ηρακλείου Κρήτης)
City, country: Heraklion, Greece
Objectives of the project
The project aimed to strengthen students’ environmental awareness by exploring ocean ecosystems through interdisciplinary, experiential learning. It sought to develop critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, and environmental responsibility by engaging pupils in research, artistic creation, field activities, and collaboration across grade levels. The whole-school approach ensured that teachers from different subjects co-designed an integrated curriculum centred on ocean protection.
Activities
A rich set of activities was implemented across all grades. Students conducted group research on ocean ecosystems, learned from a marine biologist’s lecture on rocky seabed habitats, and carried out a beach cleanup with data collection and waste management training. Classes created posters, recycled-art projects, digital collages, a digital story, and a dedicated song about the oceans. Younger students performed a theatre play for the school and parents, while educational visits to Cretaquarium introduced pupils to marine organisms. Despite weather-related delays to some outdoor activities, the programme adapted flexibly using indoor workshops and model-making. The project fostered empathy, collaboration, environmental literacy, and strong community-school links.
Expected outputs
Outputs included posters, models, digital presentations, videos, a digital storybook, artistic works, a student-created song, and an educational guide for teachers. All materials were published on the school website or shared via video platforms and Google Drive. These products now serve as reusable educational resources for future environmental projects and cross-curricular learning.
Impact
All 320 students of the school participated directly in the project, implementing research, artistic, theatrical, musical, and environmental activities across age groups. An additional 45 students from the 4th Primary School of Heraklion joined selected activities, such as beach cleanups and an art exhibition. Families, teachers, and the wider community were actively involved through materials, events, and presentations. The project significantly enhanced environmental awareness, strengthened community engagement, and deepened interdisciplinary learning across the school.
Name of school: Music School of Heraklion, Crete (Μουσικό Σχολείο Ηρακλείου)
City, country: Heraklion, Greece
Objectives of the project
The project aimed to document students’ attitudes and perceptions about marine issues and to raise awareness within both the school and the wider community. Focused on 16-year-old students, it examined the impact of human activities—especially coastal tourism—on the Gulf of Elounda, a closed and sensitive marine ecosystem in eastern Crete. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining biology, technology, mathematics, and music, and in collaboration with the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), the project sought to deepen ocean literacy and promote responsible environmental behaviour.
Activities
Students participated in a wide range of experiential activities. These included laboratory sessions at HCMR for microscopic and macroscopic observation of marine organisms, familiarization with scientific instruments, and a field visit to the Gulf of Elounda, where they conducted on-site ecosystem observations and interacted with fishermen, hotel employees, and local authorities. Pre- and post-questionnaires measured shifts in knowledge and attitudes.
Collaboration with Blue Schools (2nd Gymnasium of Agios Nikolaos and the Primary School of Gouves) expanded the learning experience through a custom educational quiz about the Elounda ecosystem and a music-playlist exchange. Students shared musical works inspired by the marine environment across genres ranging from Greek folk to classical and jazz. Community outreach was supported through public dissemination on social media.
Expected outputs
The project generated questionnaires, an educational quiz, field-study observations, and a large curated playlist of sea-themed music across traditional, classical, modern, and international genres. These outputs help integrate ocean literacy into both science and music education. Digital materials and project highlights were disseminated through YouTube and Facebook to ensure accessibility and wider community engagement.
Impact
The project fostered interdisciplinary learning and strengthened students’ scientific skills, cultural engagement, and environmental awareness. Interactions with researchers and local stakeholders helped students better understand human–environment interactions in a real-world context. Collaboration with neighbouring Blue Schools promoted peer learning, while music-based activities created an inclusive, creative entry point into ocean literacy. Public dissemination increased local awareness of marine issues in the Elounda region.
Spain
City, country: Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Objectives of the project
The project aimed to raise awareness about marine and aquatic ecosystem conservation among inland students and to demonstrate that environmental education is possible and impactful even far from the coast. It focused on empowering students to understand the environmental footprints of their actions and to promote sustainable behaviour. A key objective was to establish Spain’s first inland Blue Schools network through Service-Learning and Cooperative Learning approaches, fostering collaboration across several schools in Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha.
Activities
The project implemented a wide range of workshops and awareness-raising actions under the motto “The sea starts here.” Classroom activities included waste categorisation, monitoring the water quality of a local river, experiments on microplastics and ocean acidification, and explorations of the circular and blue economy. Schools created songs, murals, podcasts, and educational games for their communities. A formative trip to Mallorca allowed students to monitor beaches, visit sustainable ports, meet local fishermen, and exchange experiences with Blue Schools on the island during Blue Day celebrations. These activities enabled inland schools to earn Blue School certification and formed the basis for a network of sister schools. Marine sustainability has since become a cross-curricular competence within participating institutions.
Expected outputs
The project produced a variety of resources, including awareness campaigns, songs, murals, podcasts, and classroom materials. Its main educational output is the Sea-Land Awareness Guide, designed for inland schools seeking low-cost, easy-to-implement activities that bring marine issues into their curricula. Although the coastal trip did not generate traditional materials, it provided experiential learning that students shared with their families and peers, expanding the project’s reach.
Impact
Sixty-five students from the school participated directly or indirectly, and the awareness campaign reached the entire school community. Three additional schools contributed 161 students, with a further 80 students involved indirectly through exchanges with Blue Schools in Mallorca. Collaboration with NGOs, companies linked to the circular economy, fishermen’s associations, port authorities, and the Mallorca Maritime Museum enriched the learning experience. The project successfully built Spain’s first inland Blue Schools network and deepened environmental awareness across participating communities.
