Ocean Literacy Unesco

20/06/2026

📢 Webinar recording now available 🎥

Missed the launch of the Ocean Literacies in Early Childhood: Outdoor Education and Learning for Sustainability toolkit? The recording is now available on the Ocean Literacy Portal!

Developed thanks to the Kindergarten of the Lagoon project in Venice, within the framework of , this toolkit supports teachers and educators in bringing ocean literacy and sustainability into early childhood education through engaging, place-based experiences.

Watch the webinar to:
🐚 Discover the toolkit and its educational resources
🌿 Explore practical outdoor activities and pedagogical approaches
🌍 Learn how to adapt the programme to different local and educational contexts
💙 Reflect on ways to nurture curiosity, environmental awareness, and connection with nature in young learners

➡️ Access the recording and explore the toolkit on the Ocean Literacy Portal: https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/resources

18/06/2026

Last week at the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre, we hosted a special gathering in collaboration with Coral Gardeners .

Twenty university students joined us for Aperitivo Blu, alongside three guests of honour from Coral Gardeners: Stephanie DeMay (COO), Mark McKelvie (Senior iOS Software Engineer), and Hannah Stewart (Director of Restoration Science R&D), who travelled from Moorea to share their work and deep connection with coral reefs, and what it means to protect and restore them for future generations.

An afternoon shaped by ocean awareness, dialogue, and informal exchange, reflecting the spirit of the Centre as a space where education, science, and innovation come together to strengthen the connection with the Ocean and inspire action for a shared blue future.

Are you ready to step into the world of ?

The SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre is open every Tuesday and Friday.

Guided tours:
🕐🇬🇧 11:25 AM | 11:40 AM | 3:25 PM | 3:40 PM
🕐🇮🇹 10:05 AM | 10:20 AM | 2:05 PM | 2:20 PM

📍 San Servolo, Venice
🎟️ Admission is free, but reservation is required
➡️ book your visit https://oceanliteracycentre.org/

16/06/2026

16/06/2026

Across cultures, turtles have appeared in stories, traditions, and myths, often symbolising humanity’s relationship with the Earth and the natural world 🐢

For many Indigenous Peoples of North America, Turtle Island is a traditional name for North America, rooted in creation stories in which a turtle plays a central role in the formation of the world, carrying the land upon its back. The story reflects an understanding of the world grounded in interconnectedness and deep respect for nature 🩵

🐢 Sea turtles have travelled the Ocean for more than 100 million years, connecting ecosystems through their migrations and helping maintain the health of marine habitats. Yet their importance extends beyond ecology. They are also part of our cultural heritage, inspiring stories and traditions that have been passed down through generations.

Ocean Literacy is not only about understanding the Ocean through science. It is also about recognising the cultural connections that shape our relationship with the Ocean and the life it supports 🌎

Do you know of other turtle stories, traditions, or cultural connections from around the world?

Share them with us in the Ocean Literacy Community ➡️ https://ocean-literacy-unesco-ioc.circle.so/c/ocean-culture-and-heritage/

11/06/2026

📢 New Research Paper Alert! 📢

How can outdoor education transform the way teachers connect with their environment and their profession?🌿

A new study, The Lagoon as a Space for Thought: Transformative Narratives of Teachers, explores how participation in the Kindergarten of the Lagoon project transformed teachers’ relationships with the Venice Lagoon and reshaped their professional identities.

Through reflective discussions and outdoor learning experiences, educators reported a deeper connection with their local environment, new perspectives on their role as teachers, and a renewed sense of purpose in fostering sustainability from an early age.

The study highlights how outdoor education can transform not only how children learn, but also how teachers see themselves and their relationship with the environment 🩵

📖 Read the full paper https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/20965311261453545

10/06/2026

Yesterday, we welcomed a dedicated group of educators to Venice for the Ocean Literacy and Outdoor Education training, an immersive experience exploring how outdoor learning can help build a lasting bond with the Ocean 🩵

🔍 Through sensory exploration, observation, and moments of curiosity and creativity, participants experienced the Venice Lagoon as a living educational space. By engaging directly with the environment, they explored ways to nurture wonder and deepen their understanding of our connection to the Ocean and its influence on our lives.

📚 These experiences were then translated into educational practice at the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre, where participants explored practical approaches for integrating Ocean Literacy and Outdoor Education across different learning contexts.

When we learn with nature, not just about it, we build deeper connections with the living systems that sustain us and create learning experiences that can inspire care and action 🩵

Interested in taking Ocean Literacy outdoors? We can support educators, trainers, and institutions through:
💡 On-site training experiences in Venice
💡 Tailored training programmes in your city or region

This training was organised in the context of the Kindergarten of the Lagoon project, within the framework of , a project by conducted in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, shaping the future of ocean education.

09/06/2026

08/06/2026

🌊On this , we are proud to celebrate the winners of the 4th cycle of the SEA BEYOND Educational Module🏆
Guided by the theme Poles to Tropics: One Planet, One Future, students and teachers from around the world explored the deep connections between tropical coral ecosystems and the polar cryosphere, discovering how changes in one part of the Ocean can impact life across the entire planet.

Congratulations to this year's winning schools:
🥇 1st Place – Coral Category: Manara School
🥇 1st Place – Glacier Category: Shanghai High School International Division
🥈 2nd Place: Itz'at STEAM Academy
🥉 3rd Place: Escola Portuguesa de Moçambique – EPM-CELP

Through creativity and collaboration, these students demonstrated a deep understanding of the interconnected nature of the Ocean and the importance of protecting it for future generations.
By empowering young people to understand the Ocean's role in our lives, we are nurturing a new generation of ocean guardians, ready to shape a future where people and the Ocean can thrive together.

🌍 Congratulations to all participating students, teachers, and schools, and thank you to our partners and experts who made this journey possible 💙

08/06/2026

05/06/2026

📢 The Ocean Literacies in Early Childhood: Outdoor Education and Learning for Sustainability toolkit is now available!

Developed thanks to the Kindergarten of the Lagoon project in Venice, within the framework of , this publication explores how ocean literacy can begin from the earliest years of life through outdoor, place-based learning experiences that nurture curiosity and connection with nature.
Designed as a practical resource for educators and outdoor learning practitioners, the toolkit shares activities, pedagogical approaches, and reflections to help bring ocean learning into early childhood education across diverse contexts and environments.

📘 You can now download the toolkit via the link https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000397882

We are currently organizing trainings and workshops for teachers and educators interested in these approaches, and we would love to connect with institutions and partners interested in developing similar initiatives or helping bring the toolkit to more communities and languages around the world 🌱

Let’s inspire the next generation of ocean guardians together 🩵