What is it about?
Connecting Schools promotes the learning and appreciation of Ocean Literacy, connects schools across borders, and provides tools that encourage youth leadership. Through the course of this program, students will learn about the ocean and will be guided to design and implement their very own projects and environmental-based campaigns.
All while making friends from different countries!
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The 2022 cycle will consist of 5 schools from Peru and 5 schools from the United States. The students will range from 12-15 years old.
This initiative is part of the global Ocean Literacy With All (OLWA) program endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
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WHAT IS OCEAN LITERACY?
Being Ocean Literate means understanding the influence of the ocean on us and our influence on the ocean. Ocean Literacy is based on having the necessary tools to help strengthen ocean sustainability.
©Monika Barten
PROGRAM CONTENT
Connecting Schools seeks to inspire students to be agents of change. While learning about Ocean Literacy, students from Peru and the United States will be guided in designing their own environmental projects. They will be paired together to promote dialogue, provide feedback to one another, and exchange and discuss positive practices that encourage Ocean Literacy.
The program content will include the following components:
- Ocean Literacy: The importance of the ocean, its threats, and possible solutions
- Learn how to run an environmental project: Background, goals and objectives, timelines, budget, and indicators
- How to implement an environmental project
- Environmental leadership
This program will consist of 4 webinars, educational material, supervised student work, and a digital platform to connect the students participating in the program. Schools in Peru with limited economic resources may be eligible to receive an economic grant for the implementation of their youth projects.
Teachers and students that participate in the full program will receive a certificate of participation.
©Joost van Uffelen
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KEY DATES
Application Deadline:
Friday, March 11th
Announcement of participating educational institutions:
Friday, March 18th
Introductory online workshop for teachers:
Friday, March 25th (5.00 pm GMT-5)
Webinars and online workshops for students (1.5h each):
- Ocean Literacy: Tuesday, April 5th
- Project Design: Thursday, April 7th
- Project Implementation: Thursday, April 21th
- Environmental Leadership: Thursday, May 12th
- Program End: Friday, May 27th
*In addition to the webinars, students will interact with their other classmates and design and implement their own projects during the program.
WHAT DO I NEED TO APPLY?
Teachers who wish to have their class participate in the Connecting Schools program must have reliable internet and intermediate knowledge of the Spanish Language. They must demonstrate their ability and commitment to meet the program dates.
©Misión Tiburón
Jacinto Castillo
“Never in my 20 years as a teacher have I seen a program like this”.
MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Connecting Schools is a Planeta Oceano program and builds upon our environmental work within schools since 2009. Previous school connections include schools in Peru, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. The 2022 cycle is supported by the United States Embassy in Peru and the New England Biolabs Foundation.
©Monika Barten
