EnLIGHTening future Schools to deliver BLUE Sustainability in Europe (BlueLightS)

The BlueLights project aims to strengthen blue education, which involves marine and water literacy, in Europe by incorporating it into school education. The expansion of blue education supports the objectives of the EU's Mission Ocean, promoting the health and sustainable use of oceans, as well as to reduce marine pollution and mitigate the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.

Finland is one of the nine test countries for the project's blue education. We aim to strengthen marine and water literacy in Finnish schools and curricula. We also share our expertise in blue education practices with other partner countries.

Key principles and approaches

The project is built on four key principles:

1. It seeks to enhance ocean and water literacy in school education ('blue education') and increase the number of accredited schools joining the Blue Schools network.
    
2. It strives to include a diverse range of schools in the Blue School network.
    
3. It aims to improve the quality and objectives of school's 'blue projects.'
    
4. It endeavors to incorporate the concept and vision of 'blue education' into the national education systems of EU member states.

The principles are approached by:

• Developing and facilitating communities of practice for 'blue education' in the education sector.
• Strengthening participatory commitment.
• Collaborating with Mission Ocean and the EU4Ocean coalition.
• Integrating the concept of blue education into various activities, events, and communications at different scales.
• Targeting communication to selected educational communities.
• Promoting accessibility of blue materials/information to different user groups.
• Emphasizing the implementation of blue activities in 'test countries' schools, utilizing various support measures, and sharing experiences across different countries in various stages of advancing blue education.

Objectives

Significantly increase the number of blue challenges implemented in schools and promote schools' accreditation as members of the EU Blue School network.

Promote the diversification of incoming blue schools, in line with the inclusiveness principle of the EU Green Deal, including inland schools, vocational schools, and schools for children and youth with disabilities.

Enhance the quality and ambition of education projects by applying principles of open education that foster citizen engagement in blue sustainability.

Introduce the concept and vision of blue education into the national education systems of EU member states, activate education communities to participate in the design and experimentation of the education framework, and develop roadmaps to strengthen blue education.

BlueLightS: main page

Additional information

Ljudmila Vesikko, senior coordinator,
Finnish Environmental Institute (Syke), unit for marine and freshwater solutions
E-mail: ljudmila.vesikko@syke.fi