European Marine Science Educators Association

Who can apply to the BlueLightS Funding Call?

If you’re a school looking to bring ocean and water topics into your teaching, this is for you. 🙌

The 3rd BlueLightS Funding Call is open to primary, secondary, and vocational schools across EU Member States and Horizon Europe associated countries. 🏫

Whether you’re located by the coast or inland, you can apply with a project that connects your students to real-world water and ocean challenges.

You can apply:
✅ As a single school or together with others
✅ As an existing European Blue School, or become one through your project

This is your chance to engage students in hands-on learning and join a growing network of schools working towards a more sustainable future.

💶 Budget up to €3,000 per country
📅 Deadline: 18 September 2026 (17:00 CET)
🔗 Apply here: https://blue-lights.eu/grants-for-schools/



BlueLights Project ▪ ACTeon Environment ▪ Sea Teach

🌊📖 Our Chapter is Published! Ocean Literacy in Formal Education

Back in March 2024, we answered the call for chapters in what was supposed to be a single book on ocean literacy — and we knew exactly what we wanted to share! 💙✨

We contributed "Ocean Literacy in Formal Education: The Case of the Network of European Blue Schools" — providing an overview of how ocean literacy is being integrated into formal education through a grassroots approach facilitated by the European Commission and ocean literacy experts 🌍🎓.

What started as one book has blossomed into something even bigger! 📚🎉 The initial vision grew to a three-volume publication with 67 chapters and 250 authors — a testament to the wealth of knowledge and urgent need for sharing expertise in ocean literacy across the globe.

Volume III is finally here! 🥳
This volume emphasizes Ocean Decade Challenge 10: Restoring society's relationship with the Ocean through strategic communication, public engagement, and inclusive education models 🌊💡.

Our chapter "Ocean Literacy in Formal Education: The Case of the Network of European Blue Schools" is waiting for you! 👇

🔗 Read it here 👉 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-14477-5

Dive in and discover how formal education is transforming our relationship with the ocean! 🌊💚

📢 Blue Education Framework Workshop 4️⃣ is coming up!

🌀The BlueLights Project Policy Workshop Series continues with a session dedicated to Teacher Training & Professional Development within the European Blue Education Framework.

🛠️ This workshop will explore how educators can be supported in bringing ocean and water literacy into the classroom, from training approaches to practical tools and capacity-building strategies. 🏫

Join us to exchange ideas, learn from different perspectives, and contribute to shaping this key chapter of the Framework.

📅 28 May
🕙 10:00-11:30 CEST
🔗 Learn more & register 👉 https://blue-lights.eu/blue-education-workshop-iv-teacher-training-professional-development/

🌊💙 What an incredible time with at !

From inspiring workshops to celebrating ocean champions, this year's European Maritime Day was truly unforgettable! ✨🌍

We kicked things off with the Blue Schools & Blue Skills: Classroom Experience Design Lab workshop, introducing teachers from and beyond to the world of blue skills and the blue economy 📚🔧. It was also a wonderful opportunity to meet Blue Schools teachers in person and hand out their certificates — a special moment celebrating their dedication! 🎓 Huge thanks to CoastalPro and Next BlueGeneration for supporting this initiative and helping us empower educators! 🙌💚

Then came a showstopper moment: students from IES Calvià, a proud member of and the Spanish Network of Blue Schools, absolutely amazed everyone — including the Commissioner! — with the incredible projects they're conducting at school 🎓🌊. Their passion and creativity reminded us why ocean literacy matters so much 💡✨.

Last but not least, it was a joy to see impactful initiatives from , , and celebrated and awarded the awards! 🏆🎉

Energized, inspired, and ready to keep the momentum going — see you next year! 🌊💙

EuroGOOS EuroMarine We Are Blue Schools_eu

The Coalition makes waves at European Maritime Spatial Planning Week 🌊

Join our workshop to discover how can support effective MSP and help shape sustainable ocean governance in the EU.

📅 3 June 2026, 12:30 – 17:00 CET
📍 Nhow Bloom Hotel, Brussels
More info and registrations ➡️ https://maritime-spatial-planning.ec.europa.eu/events/european-maritime-spatial-planning-week

Participation is subject to acceptance of registration by the organisers.

P.S.: there will be lunch 😊

📣 The 3rd BlueLights Project Funding Call is now open!

Are you a school ready to bring ocean and water topics into your classroom? 🌍
We are launching the third Blue Challenges call, supporting schools across Europe 🇪🇺 to develop impactful projects that strengthen and and contribute to the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.”

💡 What’s in it for you?
🔹 Up to €3,000 funding per project
🔹 Support for hands-on, engaging learning activities
🔹 Opportunity to join and strengthen the Network of European Blue Schools

We’re looking for innovative and inspiring projects that connect students with real-world challenges, from pollution and biodiversity to climate change and sustainable oceans.

📅 Deadline to apply: 18 September 2026 (17:00 CET)
🔗 Apply now 👉 https://blue-lights.eu/grants-for-schools/

Let’s empower the next generation to protect our ocean and waters 🌱

🌊💼 Webinar Invitation: Navigating Opportunities in the Blue Economy!

Curious how to prepare young people for careers in a rapidly growing sector?

The offers increasing opportunities in shipbuilding 🚢, marine biotechnology 🔬, sustainable tourism 🏖️, and ocean conservation 🌊 — yet many young people remain unaware of these pathways.

Join us for an online session where we'll introduce the Next Blue Generation Toolkit (NBG) — a free educational resource designed for secondary school teachers and career guidance professionals 📚🎓.
The toolkit helps young people discover their talents, strengthen soft skills, and explore blue economy careers in an interactive way! 🌍💡

What You'll Discover:

🎮 NBG Online Game – An interactive assessment where students evaluate soft skills like teamwork, time management, resilience, communication, and problem-solving

🧭 Pathway Tool – Personalized career suggestions within the blue economy based on game results

📖 Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) – A practical course featuring videos, expert interviews, and quizzes covering six sectors: nautical tourism, maritime transport, shipbuilding & repair, marine biotechnology, marine conservation & ocean literacy, and aquaculture

Who Should Attend? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️
✅ Secondary school teachers
✅ Career guidance professionals/counselors
✅ Schools strengthening future-oriented skills and sustainable career pathways

📅 5 May 2026
🕒 18:00 CET (Brussels) | 19:00 Athens | 17:00 Lisbon
🔗 Register today 👉 https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/events/navigating-opportunities-discover-toolkit-secondary-education-2026-05-05_en

Help young people explore blue economy opportunities and shape their future! 🌊🚀



Next BlueGeneration

🌊 Can sport help protect our oceans? Over the past three years, the OSES (Ocean Sustainability through Education and Sport) project explored exactly that.

Through collaboration with nine European partners, we worked with nautical sport organisations, educators, and environmental actors to create tools, pilot interventions, and educational approaches linking water sports with , , and .

Three key publications are now available:

1️⃣ Short policy overview (2-pager): A concise summary of the project’s achievements and recommendations for strengthening the role of nautical sports in ocean sustainability.

2️⃣ Advocacy report: Recommendations, educational strategies, and tools for nautical sports clubs, federations, marine organizations, and policymakers.

3️⃣ Comprehensive report: Full project journey, pilot interventions across Europe, and sport’s broader contribution to environmental education and ocean conservation.

🌊 Why it matters: Nautical sports connect people directly with the ocean. This relationship makes climate change visible and tangible, offering a unique platform to educate, inspire, and mobilise communities for environmental protection. Sport can engage younger generations and help citizens take action for a sustainable future.

📚 Explore the reports here 👉 https://oses-project.org/ressources-oses/

💬 What role do you think sport can play in protecting our oceans? Share your thoughts below!


▪
Think tank Sport et Citoyenneté ▪ Surfrider España ▪ Universitat de Barcelona ▪ Begi Bistan ▪ DAN Europe (Divers Alert Network Europe) ▪ Green Coast SurfSchool ▪ La Vague Normande Formation ▪ Ocean as common

Don't forget to vote for the Public Choice Award 🏆

💙🌊 Join Us for the Next Policy Workshop!

Continuing our policy work within the BlueLights Project we're excited to invite you to the third session of the Framework Workshop Series — this time focused on Educational Resources! 📚✨

This workshop will explore how to design, develop, and scale high-quality educational materials that support blue education across formal schooling. The discussion will focus on how open, accessible, and curriculum-linked resources can help teachers bring river and ocean sustainability into everyday classroom practice across subjects and levels. 💬

Together, we will also look at how to ensure these resources are equitable, practical, and capable of creating long term impact. 📈

📅 27 April
🕒 10:00-11:30 CEST
Register here 👉 https://blue-lights.eu/blue-education-workshop-iii-educational-resources/