Over Twenty Primary Schools selected to complete Explorers Healthy Ocean projects for Ocean Champion Awards

10th March 2022: The Marine Institute's Explorers Education programme are delighted to announce that over twenty primary schools in 14 coastal counties around Ireland have been selected to complete Healthy Oceans projects to be in with a chance of winning a Marine Institute Explorers Ocean Champion Award.

This Award is part of the Explorers School Project, which provides teachers and children with the tools necessary to develop a project within their school and community. The healthy ocean projects focus on supporting the primary school curriculum and creating positive actions to raise awareness and engagement about the ocean in the schools and their local communities.

"We are delighted with the number of schools that are taking part in the Explorers Healthy Ocean project module that is being delivered by the Explorers teams around Ireland. The schools working with the Explorers outreach centres will be learning about the ocean and how to take action to improve ocean health," said Cushla Dromgool-Regan, Strategic Education and Communications Manager, Explorers Education Programme, Camden Education Trust.

The Explorers teams and schools will be working on the healthy ocean projects over the next term where they will be able to select one of three categories to focus on. The first category includes incorporating a marine theme into a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) project. The second category includes developing an Ocean Literacy Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) creative project which addresses an SDG. This may be based on SDG topics such as climate change, wellness, as well as life under water. The final category is providing teachers and students an opportunity to complete a project outdoors, ranging from creating outdoor sculptures to beach cleans.

"The Healthy Oceans projects furthers the Marine Institute's goal to increase marine education and engagement, and also encourages schools to engage with their local community," said Ms Patricia Orme, Director, Marine Institute. "Through these projects we hope that the school children and their wider community will gain a greater appreciation of the importance of the ocean and an understanding of the significant impact of the ocean on our daily lives."

This is the first year of the Ocean Champions Awards, and submissions will be judged by a team of marine and education experts. The winners will receive a Marine Institute Explorers Ocean Champion Award for their school. Winners will be announced around World Ocean Day on the 8th June.

There are some places still available for schools to take part in the Ocean Champions Awards. For more information see Explorers School Projects at the Explorers Education Programme www.explorers.ie.

The Explorers Education Programme is funded by the Marine Institute, Ireland's state agency for marine research and development.

ENDS

Contact:
Cushla Dromgool-Regan
Strategic Education and Communications Manager
(Marine Institute's Explorers Education Programme)
The Camden Education Trust
Mobile: + 353 (0) 87 9185519
Email: cushla.dromgoolregan@thecamdentrust.org
Website: www.explorers.ie

Photo caption:
The Explorers Education programme outreach team are delighted to be working with over twenty primary schools in 14 coastal counties around Ireland, where they will all be completing Healthy Ocean projects within their local communities, so as to be in with a chance to win the first Marine Institute Explorers Ocean Champion Award for schools. Photo: Aengus McMahon Photography