The Network of European Blue Schools

🌊 How can maps help students understand marine litter, fishing activity, or ocean observation?

Find out at our upcoming EU BlueSchools webinar on the European Atlas of the Seas! 🗺️✨

What is the European Atlas of the Seas? 🌍
An interactive mapping tool from the European Commission, powered by EMODnet, giving free public access to data on Europe's marine environment 🐟, coastal areas 🏖️, and the blue economy 💼.

What Will You Discover? 👇
📍 How to use the Atlas with your students
🗺️ Browse over 270 map layers on marine topics
👨‍🏫 Access the Teachers' Corner with ready-to-use classroom content
🎮 Engage your class with games, quizzes, and the Map of the Week series
💡 Practical tools to bring ocean literacy to life in your classroom!

This hands-on session is perfect for teachers ready to explore interactive ways to teach about our oceans 🌊📚.

📅 21 October 2026
🕕 18:00–19:00 CET

🔗 Info and registration: https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/events/nebs-webinar-using-european-atlas-seas-classroom-2026-10-21_en 

Don't miss this opportunity to transform how your students learn about the marine world! 🙌💙

I would like to share a short reflection from our recent study visit with teachers from our partner schools in Barreiro (Portugal) - Maria Robalo (Agrupamento de Escolas Augusto Cabrita) and Helena Pires (Agrupamento de Escolas de Álvaro Velho).

The visit was organised as part of our project “STEAM and Future Jobs with School Hydroponic Gardens”, supported by the Science on Stage Germany Engineering Grant and with the valuable support of Science on Stage Poland.

During the visit, we organised hands-on workshops for students and teachers, combining biology, chemistry, technology, engineering and sustainability. School hydroponic gardens became a practical tool for exploring real-life challenges, design thinking, experimentation and future-oriented STEM education.

A particularly important part of the programme was our meeting with a representative of the European Blue School Network leadership. It was a great opportunity to present the results of our international cooperation and to discuss how our STEM, environmental and sustainability activities connect with the idea of Blue Schools.

For us, this cooperation shows how different European initiatives can work in synergy. Our activities combine Science on Stage, eTwinning and the European Blue School Network, giving students the opportunity to work on authentic challenges, collaborate internationally and develop scientific, environmental, digital and social competences.

I am very grateful to our Portuguese partners, to Science on Stage Germany for the grant, to Science on Stage Poland for its support, and to the European Blue School Network for the inspiring exchange.

Our agenda and activities - Baltic see

Time is running out! ⚠️ If you want to bring Ocean and Water Literacy to life in your school, you have just 17 days to apply for the final BlueLightS funding call! 🚀

The 3rd Funding Call supports creative, hands-on school projects that engage students and create real-world impact 💚✨.

Explore topics like:
🔹 Marine and freshwater biodiversity 🐟🌿
🔹 Pollution and microplastics 🌊♻️
🔹 Climate change and water systems 🌡️💧
🔹 Sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, or energy 🐠⚡
🔹 Active citizenship and awareness campaigns 🤝📢

The possibilities are endless! 🎨
From citizen science and fieldwork to art, storytelling, and digital projects — what matters is engaging your students and connecting learning to real-world challenges 📚🌍.

Projects run for just 2-3 months, making them easy to fit into your school calendar and curriculum 📅✨.

Don't miss this opportunity! 💙

📅 Deadline to apply: 18 September 2026, 17:00 CET
🔗 Learn more and apply: https://blue-lights.eu/grants-for-schools/

Turn your classroom into a space for impact — apply today! 🌱🙌

What if maritime education could prepare not only future professionals, but also responsible citizens of the sea?

At the 1st Vocational Upper Secondary School of Lixouri, Kefalonia, Greece, we are developing “Nautikos Orizontas – Maritime Horizons”: an educational initiative connecting:

⚓ Maritime VET
🌊 Ocean Literacy
🔵 Blue Economy
🌱 Sustainability
🤝 Open Schooling
🇪🇺 European Cooperation

From the classroom to the ship, the port and the sea, we are exploring a broader vision of maritime education through authentic experiences, cooperation and reflection.

There is much more beyond this first introduction…

🔹 Join our eTwinning Group:
https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/etwinning/group/maritime-horizons-blue-economy-ocean-literacy

🔹 Discover our programme:
https://sites.google.com/view/nautikos-orizontas/αρχική

Let’s open new maritime horizons together!

#EuropeanBlueSchools #MaritimeHorizons #MaritimeVET #OceanLiteracy #BlueEconomy #OpenSchooling #eTwinning 

PROUD TO BE A EUROPEAN BLUE SCHOOL FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR! 💙🌊

We are delighted to announce that the I.C. Bonsegna-Toniolo has once again been recognized as a European Blue School by the Network of European Blue Schools, an initiative promoted by the European Commission through the EU4Ocean Coalition.

🏆 For the second consecutive year, our school has received this prestigious European recognition, confirming our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, ocean literacy, educational innovation, and active European citizenship.

This year, the recognition was awarded to the project:

“Photon and Ecological Robotics: Solutions for a Sustainable Sea”

Through educational robotics, coding, immersive learning environments, and environmental education, our students explored innovative solutions to protect marine ecosystems and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Being reconfirmed as a European Blue School represents much more than a certificate of achievement: it is the recognition of a shared educational journey, a forward-looking vision, and a commitment to being part of the wonderful community of European schools that educate young people to respect and protect the sea.

This important achievement reflects our dedication to:

🔹 Ocean Literacy and maritime culture
🔹 Educational innovation and STEM disciplines
🔹 Inclusion and active citizenship
🔹 European cooperation and shared values
🔹 Building a sustainable future

We are proud to continue being part of the great family of European Blue Schools, collaborating with schools across Europe to promote ocean conservation and environmental awareness among future generations.

🌍🌊 Together we learn, innovate, and protect our Blue Planet. 💙

European blue school

We are delighted to announce that our school is now a ''European Blue School''.

Huge thanks to all the participants!

blue school

🌊🐙 Dive into an unforgettable underwater adventure!

As part of our Little Explorers of the Blue Planet eTwinning project, we transformed our collaboratively written story, The Adventures of the Brave Octopus, into an AI-generated animated cartoon!

Created with the creativity and teamwork of our international project partners, this animation celebrates friendship, ocean conservation, and the power of imagination.

💙 We hope all ocean lovers enjoy this special adventure!

🎬 Sit back, watch, enjoy, and don't forget to like, share, and support our project! 🌍🐠

The link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12-ogZqLgm0dHvXDuIcDHR84Yk20B4ib0/view?usp=sharing

We are delighted to announce that II Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Wojciecha Kilara w Zabrzu has been accepted into the European Blue Schools network 🌍✨

🌊💙 WORLD OCEANS DAY | Dissemination Day – Sharing our journey as Blue Sentinels! 🇪🇺

On this World Oceans Day, we are proud to celebrate and disseminate the outcomes of our European project:

🎥 "Photon and Ecological Robotics: Solutions for a Sustainable Sea"

▶️ Watch our documentary here:
https://youtu.be/PCC__dQHai0?si=ugBcdPxV7zMS-Vl_

Over four inspiring months, our 17 young Blue Sentinels (10–11 years old) transformed into real Citizen Scientists, actively contributing to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Taranto, Italy.

Through an interdisciplinary approach combining Ocean Literacy, STEM Education, Educational Robotics, Inclusion, and Environmental Citizenship, our students:

🔹 Removed and classified 225 kg of marine litter using the international OSPAR Marine Litter Monitoring Protocol;

🔹 Monitored biodiversity alongside scientists from WWF Taranto, Jonian Dolphin Conservation, and Legambiente Maruggio;

🔹 Explored coastal and marine ecosystems through authentic field experiences, including wetland investigations and cetacean monitoring activities;

🔹 Designed ecological solutions using Photon robots, coding, Scratch, LEGO WeDo, and 3D printing;

🔹 Demonstrated that inclusive education empowers every learner: although 41% of our students had Special Educational Needs, 100% actively participated in every phase of the project.

Developed within the BlueLightS Programme and aligned with the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030", this project shows how schools can become powerful agents of change, nurturing environmentally responsible citizens equipped with scientific knowledge, creativity, empathy, and a commitment to sustainability.

Today, on World Oceans Day, we reaffirm a simple but powerful message:

🌍 Protecting our oceans begins with educating the next generation to understand, value, and care for them.

💬 "No one is too small to make a difference."

💙 As educators, we believe that every child can become a guardian of our oceans when learning is authentic, inclusive, and connected to real-world challenges. Together, through education, we can inspire the change our planet urgently needs.

We hope that our experience inspires more schools across Europe to embrace Ocean Literacy, Citizen Science, and sustainability education, empowering young people to become active guardians of our shared future.

#WorldOceansDay #WorldOceansDay2026 #BlueLightS #BlueSchools #OceanLiteracy #CitizenScience #STEMEducation #EducationalRobotics #EnvironmentalEducation #Sustainability #EUmissionOcean #eTwinning #BlueSentinels #Inclusion #SDGs #RestoreOurOcean #FutureForOurOceans #EducationForSustainability #OceanAction

📢 Dissemination event on World Oceans Day: students proudly shared the outcomes of their Blue Sentinels project, inspiring the school community through Ocean Literacy, Citizen Science, and environmental responsibility. 🌊💙🇪🇺

https://padlet.com/polatlikubra91/mavi-nobetciler-degisen-zeminden-temiz-sulara-blue-guardians-1gdfbe98tyz58kzm