OCEAN SCHOOLS 2024 | 2025

The permanent program "Ocean Schools" kicks off in the autumn, with free digital webinars and on-demand training events aimed at teachers of all levels, the first of which is an introduction to the activities. The project is aimed at the entire national school community. The year-long course is developed through thematic in-depth analysis, theoretical reflections and practical suggestions for the most urgent issues affecting our time: climate and environment, humankind and the blue planet, and biodiversity.

This year the students, aged between 3 and 19, will explore an interdisciplinary course dedicated to the pressing issue of biodiversity, adapted for the different school grades and the environmental variety within our national territory.

The educational program proposed for the 2024/2025 school year is implemented within the framework of the Biodiversity Gateway (BG) promoted by the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), the national centre financed by NextGenerationEU funds and coordinated by the National Research Council, with the aim of studying and preserving ecosystems and biodiversity.

The BG, which will be officially inaugurated in May 2025, is a tool for the valorization and amplification of the knowledge produced by the Italian scientific community, to foster training and dissemination activities useful for creating and supporting synergies between the world of research, the world of economics and citizens.

With the Biodiversity Gateway, the "Ocean Schools" program intends to amplify the network of teachers and students to broaden the educational offerings for effective environmental education.

The permanent "Ocean Schools" program starts in September, at the beginning of the school year, with free training sessions in digital webinar and on demand formats aimed at teachers of all levels. The year-round course develops through thematic insights, theoretical reflections, and practical suggestions for the most urgent issues that concern our time: climate and environment, humanity and the blue planet, and biodiversity.

This year the students (aged between 3 and 19) explore an interdisciplinary course dedicated to the pressing theme of biodiversity, organized for the various school levels and the environmental variety present within our national territory.

The educational program proposed for the 2024/2025 school year has been implemented within the framework of the Biodiversity Gateway (BG), promoted by the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), the national center financed by NextGenerationEU funds, coordinated by the National Research Council, with the aim of studying and preserving ecosystems and biodiversity.

With the Biodiversity Gateway, the "Ocean Schools" program amplifies the network of teachers and students with the common goal of effective environmental education.

In May, the "Ocean Schools" program comes to an end with a series of digital events and in-person workshops.

The education department will accompany participants to visit the exhibition "otras montañas, las que andan sueltas bajo el agua" [other mountains, adrift beneath the waves] curated by Yina Jiménez Suriel, with new works commissioned by artists Nadia Huggins and Tessa Mars. Following this, students, with the support of young performers, will be involved in a community performance workshop aimed at observing biodiversity through the lens of contemporary art.

• Friday, May 16, 11am - 1pm | BIODIVERCITY. DISCOVERING THE BIODIVERSITY AROUND US

Final schools event, in presence at Ocean Space for schools enrolled in the “Ocean Schools” program

• Thursday, May 22, 9am - 12pm | BIODIVERCITY. DISCOVERING THE BIODIVERSITY AROUND US

Final schools event, online via Zoom for kindergarten, elementary, and middle schools enrolled in the program

• BIODIVERSITY. NATURAL TEXTURES. Course designed for Kindergarten classes (3–5 years old).
• BIODIVERSITY. ECO-SIGNS OF NATURE. Course designed for Elementary School classes (6–10 years old).
• BIODIVERSITY. NATURAL DE-SIGN. Course designed for Middle School classes (11–13 years old).
• BIODIVERSITY. IN THE SIGN OF DIVERSITY. Course designed for High School classes (14–19 years old).
  
  

• Friday, November 8, 2024, 4:30 - 5:30pm | "Semi-nati. The beauty of biodiversity" - Schools Open Day (live session)
• Friday, December 6, 2024, 4:30 - 5:30pm | "The invisible threads of nature" with Gianumberto Accinelli, entomologist, professor, researcher and science popularizer (online meeting via zoom)
• Friday, December 13, 2024, 4:30 - 5:30pm | "Biodiversity: methodological approaches and measurements in the eLTER network of long-term ecological research sites" with Giorgio Matteucci, Director of the Institute for BioEconomy of the National Research Council (CNR-IBE) and Coordinator of the eLTER-Italy network (pre-recorded meeting available from 4:30pm. Registered participants will receive the link via email)
• Thursday, December 19, 2024, 4:30 - 5:30pm | "Educational approaches and proposals for biodiversity" with Monica Guerra and Greta Persico of the Department of Human Sciences for Education ‘Riccardo Massa’ - University of Milano-Bicocca (pre-recorded meeting available from 4:30pm. Registered participants will receive the link via email)
• Friday, January 10, 2025, 4:30 - 5:30pm | "Eco-signs: observing and reproducing the forms of biodiversity" with Ilaria Pittana, architect, designer and researcher (pre-recorded meeting available from 4:30pm. Registered participants will receive the link via email)
• Friday, January 17, 2025, 4 - 6pm | "Biodiversity pathways in the classroom for teachers of all school levels" with Valeria Bottalico, Ocean Space educational activities referent and Marta Picciulin, CNR ISMAR researcher, Biodiversity Gateway project referent, (online meeting via zoom)