Background
Across the globe, many initiatives are supporting ocean education in individual schools, contributing to the growth of blue schools. However, their overall reach remains limited compared to national education systems, and they often struggle to engage children from socially vulnerable backgrounds.
To ensure all children have access to ocean education—and to meaningfully contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 14 (Life Below Water)—a more systemic and inclusive approach is needed.
The workshop is co-organised by by the BlueLights/SHORE/ProBleu Mission Ocean projects, COLC, EU4Ocean, IOC-UNESCO, Oceanário de Lisboa (in collaboration with Oceano Azul Foundation).
Objectives
This workshop aims to explore the challenges and identify solutions for more explicitly integrating the ocean into formal education systems. It addresses four key questions:
- Promote systemic change by exploring how the ocean can be better integrated into national education systems through curriculum development, teacher training, and policy support.
- Create synergies between ocean education and other priorities such as sustainability, citizenship, and media literacy to strengthen its relevance and impact.
- Foster inclusion by identifying ways to ensure ocean education reaches all children, especially those from socially vulnerable backgrounds.
- Rethink evaluation to better capture local engagement, shifts in attitudes, and the development of critical thinking and active citizenship.
Agenda
The workshop will feature a dynamic mix of plenary sessions and interactive group work, combining expert input with participant-led discussion and reflection.
🔹 16:30 – Setting the Scene: Why and What For?
Welcome, objectives, agenda highlights, and expected outcomes | Pierre Strosser (BlueLightS & ACTeon, France)
🔹 16:35 – Global Ocean Education Priorities
From the UN Ocean Decade Challenge 10 to UNOC 3 commitments | Francesca Santoro (IOC-UNESCO, Italy)
🔹 16:45 – Icebreaker: Discover Your Ocean Education Neighbours
Interactive networking to kick off the session | All participants
🔹 16:50 – Bringing the Ocean to the Education System
Understanding how education systems work and where the ocean fits in | Pierre Strosser (BlueLightS & ACTeon, France)
🔹 16:55 – Lightning Presentations: Four Entry Points for Action
Short, powerful insights on key integration pathways:
• Integrating ocean themes into national education strategies | Diz Glithero (COLC, Canada)
• Adapting and enriching curricula | Rita Borges (Oceanário de Lisboa, Portugal) or Timna Varela (Honduras, Partners in Education Roatan)
• Leveraging systemic education frameworks | Raquel Lorenz Costa (UNESCO, Portugal)
• Inspiring interest in the ocean among all children | Valeria Bottalico (Ocean Space, Italy)
🔹 17:10 – Group Work Introduction
Overview of the interactive group sessions and roles | Dominika Wojcieszek (BlueLightS & EMSEA, Poland)
🔹 17:15 – Group Work: Dive into the Four Themes
Breakout discussions with expert facilitators, roleplay, and co-creation
With participation of:
- Diz Glithero (COLC, Canada) & Olivier Dargent (Nice Academie)
- Rita Borges (Oceanário de Lisboa, Portugal) & Timna Varela (Honduras, Partners in Education Roatan)
- Raquel Lorenz Costa (UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Portugal)
- Valeria Bottalico (Ocean Space, TBA21, Italy), Ronaldo A. Christofoletti & Thais Pileggi (UNIFESP, Brazil)
🔹 17:45 – Reflecting Collectively
Reporting back, identifying gaps, and formulating recommendations | Facilitated by Dominika Wojcieszek (BlueLightS & EMSEA)
🔹 17:55 – Closing & Next Steps
Final words and a look ahead | Pierre Strosser (BlueLightS & ACTeon)
🔹 18:00 – Time to Connect
Informal networking and exchange over refreshments | All participants
For Whom?
The workshop brings together key actors committed to embedding ocean literacy within education systems. It aims to foster dialogue between:
- Education stakeholders: Teachers, school leaders, education ministries and agencies, teacher training institutes, education researchers, local education departments, and organisations supporting vulnerable learners.
- Ocean stakeholders: Marine scientists, representatives from ocean-related ministries and agencies, environmental educators, civil society organisations, and private sector actors involved in ocean knowledge and outreach.
📍 Location: UNOC 2025 – Nice – Beyond Borders, La Baleine
🗓️ Date&Time: June 10, 2025 – 16:30-18:00
Download the full description of the workshop here
