Water in Focus – Citizen Science and Digital Storytelling for a Blue Future
Objectives of the project
Water in Focus – Citizen Science and Digital Storytelling for a Blue Future aimed to strengthen students’ water literacy through field learning, citizen science, and creative communication.
The project helped students explore local aquatic ecosystems connected to the Danube, Lake Razelm/Razim, and the Black Sea. It encouraged them to observe water environments, understand biodiversity, reflect on responsible water use, and recognise the links between local waters and wider environmental challenges.
The project also aimed to combine science, geography, culture, ICT, and civic responsibility, while supporting the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”.
Activities
Students took part in introductory workshops on Blue Schools, water literacy, citizen science, biodiversity, and responsible consumption.
Field activities were organised in several local water-related environments, including Jurilovca, Lake Razelm/Razim, the Danube area, Sulina, the Danube, and the Black Sea. During these activities, students observed aquatic ecosystems, discussed pollution and human impact, collected simple water-related data, and documented their impressions through photos, notes, and digital storytelling.
Students also worked in interdisciplinary teams to create posters, short texts, digital materials, QR-code resources, awareness messages, and TwinSpace posts. The final activities included dissemination in school and online through a Blue Exhibition / Digital Blue Gallery.
Expected outputs
The project produced educational and dissemination materials focused on water and ocean literacy, biodiversity, local aquatic ecosystems, and responsible citizenship.
The main outputs included student observation sheets, photos from field activities, awareness posters, digital presentations, short texts, TwinSpace posts, examples of student work, dissemination materials, QR-code resources, and visual materials related to Lake Razelm/Razim, the Danube, the Black Sea, Jurilovca, and Sulina.
A key output was the development of the Digital Blue Gallery, where students’ work, photos, posters, and project messages were shared with the school community and promoted online.
Impact
The project directly involved 50 students and indirectly reached around 200 more students through presentations, exhibitions, posts, and school-level communication.
Students developed observation, communication, digital, teamwork, and storytelling skills while learning about biodiversity, sustainability, and responsible citizenship. The project also helped them better understand the connection between local waters and wider environmental challenges.
The wider school community was involved through teachers, families, local partners, public institutions, and NGOs. Cooperation with the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority and Mare Nostrum NGO added expert support and real-world relevance to the activities.
The project results will continue to be used in future lessons and activities related to science, geography, civic education, environmental education, ICT, art, and project-based learning.
