Map of the Week – Education – Network of European Blue Schools
As we approach the winter school break, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the current call to join the Network of European Blue Schools closes today, 15 December 2023! Are you a teacher? Make sure you have submitted your school’s application to become part the network dedicated to Ocean Literacy and contribute to ocean sustainability! What is a European Blue School you ask? A European Blue School brings the ocean into the classroom. It’s a school which, through project-based learning, engages students with marine- and maritime-related topics to create awareness and a feeling of responsibility for the ocean. Click on the Map of the Week to learn more about the schools that have already joined the Network of European Blue Schools around Europe and beyond!
The Network of European Blue Schools is one of the three pillars of the EU4Ocean Coalition supported by the European Commission. It is established as a hub for all schools and teachers that strive to engage students with oceanic topics and educate a new generation of ocean literate young citizens. It aims to inspire teachers, school directors or staff of education services, to challenge their students, from kindergarten, primary, lower and upper secondary, technical or vocational schools, to Find the Blue and develop a project that links them to the ocean or the sea. The two other pillars of the EU4Ocean Coalition are the EU4Ocean Platform for organisations (e.g., research institutes, non-governmental organisations, associations, companies), projects, networks, clusters and individuals engaged in Ocean Literacy initiatives and the Youth4Ocean Forum which brings together young people between 16 and 30.
Speaking of education, on 13 December 2023, UNESCO organised, with the support of the EU4Ocean Coalition, a webinar for teachers and educators titled ‘Teaching and Learning with Living Heritage’. During the webinar, teachers had the chance to:
- Connect ocean topics to oral traditions, performing arts, history, and myths;
- Discover how to be part of the Network of European of Blue Schools;
- Understand how to connect local actions with the Blue Curriculum initiative.
Wish to know more? Discover the resource toolkit on ‘Teaching and Learning with Living Heritages’ for relevant case studies and practical tools.
Have you missed the deadline to join the Network of European Blue Schools? Stay tuned for the next call in 2024! Meanwhile, check out the ‘Bring The Ocean into Your School MOOC ’, which starts on 15 January 2024, to get inspiration and guidance to bring ocean-related topics into your classroom, to foster the next generation of ocean stewards, and to create your unique ‘Find the Blue’ project to work towards achieving a European Blue School certification.
The Map of the Week will be on a winter break in the coming three weeks. We will be back with new ocean and seas updates on 12 January 2024. In the meantime, make sure you visit the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) Virtual Exhibition European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) Virtual Exhibition to:
- Explore the European Atlas of the Seas' space of the exhibition and discover the latest developments related to the Atlas, including the My Maps tool, the first citizen science map layer and educational material, quizzes and games available in the Teachers Corner;
- Immerse yourself in the world of EMODnet by navigating through various themed rooms;
- Have a look at the poster gallery!
We wish you happy and safe holidays!
The data in the map are provided by the Network of European Blue Schools.