Best wishes for 2025! This New Year will be an existing and very interesting year for ocean literacy, Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and education, with many planned events, activities and projects! As students are back to school after the winter holidays, activities are already in full swing. For example, the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) is taking place in Ireland this week from 9 to 11 January 2025. BTYSTE is the biggest Irish science competition (and exhibition) for second level school students. The European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA) is organising a Masterclass on ‘Ocean literacy & policy - amplifying community voices’ on 17 January 2025 and International Day of Education will be celebrated across the world on 24 January 2025! Under the theme “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation”, the 2025 International Day of Education inspires reflections on the power of education to equip individuals and communities navigate, understand and influence technological advancement. [1]
Speaking of schools, the Network of European Blue Schools (NEBS) has seen great developments and successes over the past months. It now brings together over 570 schools! The Network of European Blue Schools is part of the EU4Ocean Coalition. 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. In October 2024, certification levels were introduced, acknowledging schools demonstrating different degrees of dedication to ocean literacy. The new tiered certification system celebrates schools that have shown sustained involvement over several years. Schools can now earn one of three levels of certification [2]:
- Blue School (Entry Level) – For schools submitting projects lasting up to two school years.
- Aquamarine Blue School (Intermediate Level) – For schools conducting projects spanning 2 to 5 school years.
- Ultramarine Blue School (Advanced Level) – For schools demonstrating long-term commitment, with projects spanning more than five school years.
Click on the pieces of the puzzle on the map to learn more about the schools and their projects!
Would you like your school to join the Network of European Blue Schools? Do you know a school that might be interested? Watch the NEBS website for the upcoming call for schools!
The data in the map are provided by the Network of European Blue Schools.
[1] https://www.unesco.org/en/days/education
[2] https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/nebs-recognizing-and-inspiring-excellence-blue-education_en