Over 15,000 primary school children are learning about the ocean from the Explorers Education Programme from Galway’s Marine Institute.
The Marine Institute in Rinville has been engaging with primary schools, teachers, children and the education sector for years to promote marine education.
Last year saw the highest ever level engagement achieved by the Explorers programme, with 468 modules delivered through fun and engaging projects in the classroom, and by heading to the sea.
Congratulating the team, Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute said, “This outcome is reflective of the quality of the Explorers outreach programme which promotes marine education and the how well the programme is delivered by Explorers outreach teams in schools around the coast.”
“Marine projects, seashore safaris, STEM workshops, aquariums in-the-class and the healthy ocean school projects, are excellent examples of how teachers can use marine content to and develop children’s key competencies to enable them to become active citizens.”
Cushla Dromgool-Regan, Manager of the Explorers Education Programme, said: “Outreach officers adopt an integrated approach to delivering the wide range of activities available, supported by the Explorers education resources.”
“This enables teachers to complete cross curricular marine themed projects in the classroom and helps children to take a greater lead in their learning and to becoming ocean literate.”
One of the biggest additions to the programme in recent years has been the Healthy Ocean Projects & Ocean Champion Awards.
With the objective of creating marine leaders and ocean champions, the competition attracted twenty-six schools in fourteen counties who submitted 28 projects covering science, artwork and beach cleans.
Last October saw two schools in Galway, Scoil Iosaif Naofa in Oranmore and Claddagh National School, chosen as two of the six awards winners.
The Oranmore Boys NS won in the Cross Curricular & STEM category, while Claddagh National School took home the Judges’ Award.
