Explorers Education Programme

The Marine Institute - Foras na Mara Explorers Education Programme’s wonderful Jane was at the Irish Ocean Literacy Network event on blue education in Ireland where she presented our content! What a wonderful initiative! 🌊

The Marine Institute - Foras na Mara Explorers team had such a great time at the Wexford Maritime Festival over the weekend. Roisin, Noirin and Ciaran were at the Explorers display of bio facts and games. What a great festival!

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🌍 Aquatic Biomes: The Water Worlds of Earth 🌊

Did you know that aquatic biomes cover about 75% of our planet?

💧 Freshwater Ecosystems include rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. They contain very little salt and provide water for drinking, agriculture, and countless living organisms.

🌊 Marine Ecosystems include oceans, seas, coral reefs, and estuaries. These salty water bodies are home to an amazing diversity of plants and animals and play a vital role in regulating Earth's climate.

Both freshwater and marine ecosystems are essential for maintaining biodiversity and supporting life on our planet.

📚 Geography Fact: Oceans hold about 97% of Earth's water, while only about 3% is freshwater!

The Marine Institute - Foras na Mara Explorers Education Programme are delighted to announce that the students of National School in County Kerry have been named the Marine Institute’s 2026 National Explorers Ocean Champions. The students were honoured at a special school event attended by Kerry TD and Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley TD, alongside Marine Institute CEO Dr Rick Officer, celebrating their exceptional documentary film and marine science project, "A Nursery Beneath the Waves." For the full press release, see:

Kerry School Crowned Marine Institute’s 2026 National Explorers Ocean Champions | Marine Institute Kerry School Crowned Marine Institute’s 2026 National Explorers Ocean Champions Image TRALEE, CO. KERRY — May 29, 2026 — The students of Aughacasla National School in County Kerry have been named the Marine Institute’s 2026 National Explorers Ocean Champions. The students were honoured today...

It's time for the Marine Institute - Foras na Mara Explorers Education Programme summer teacher training on the seashore in Donegal! 👩‍🏫 Join David for fun, hands-on learning this summer on the seashore and in Holy Trinity N.S. Dunfanaghy between the 1st and 7th of July.
Book your spot today at
https://bit.ly/4neZnll
and get ready for some fun by the shore.
Our face-to-Face Courses are also taking place in Galway, Kerry, West Cork and Wicklow from Wednesday, 1st July – Tuesday, 7th July (5-day course with a break for the weekend).
Online Course: Wednesday, July 1st – Friday, August 21st (Self-paced).
For more details please see:
https://bit.ly/4vMeuqg

The Sea Collective

Exploring The Seashore Using Creative Cross Curricular Learning & Skills Development (Holy Trinity NS, Dunfanaghy) Jump into the Exploring the Seashore training course. Popular among teachers, this course is a fun and exciting opportunity to discover the seashore in new ways. During the course, teachers spend up...

🐚TOMORROW!
Explorers Education Programme EMD in my Country Beach Walk on the 29th of May! ☀

As part of the 20th Anniversary celebrations, the Marine Institute - Foras na Mara's Explorers Education Programme will mark EMD in my country with a special event on the shore in Fanad in Co. Donegal. Families are invited to join Dave from the Explorers Outreach Team at Fanad Lighthouse at 5pm on the 29th of May to learn about phytoplankton species and the microscopic marvels that help support all life on our planet. Fun interactive games and seashore challenges will be used to reveal the wonders of these tiny seashore lifeforms. We will explore the tools scientists use to study phytoplankton and provide families with information on how they too can get involved in collecting scientific data and becoming an active citizen. A special phytoplankton themed sand sculpture challenge will finish off the event as families have an opportunity to win a resource pack for exploring the microscopic world. 🔬

If you happen to be free the morning, check out the BlueLights Project Blue Education Training & Professional Development, where a number of speakers and education professionals will be discussing blue education. Our very own Dr Noirin Burke will be speaking about teachers training in Ireland, which includes the Marine Institute - Foras na Mara Explorers Education Programme teachers training courses that are approved by the Irish Department of Education.

📢 Blue Education Framework Workshop IV is coming up!

The BlueLightS 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/