Description
My Observatory from Rivers to Ocean is a project aimed at the promotion of ocean literacy and environmental education, involving the educational community in the promotion of knowledge about the oceans. Through a set of ocean literacy promotion activities, we will connect schools from the interior of the country with schools from the coast, which are united by a river, motivating the exchange of knowledge and insights into the marine environment. Although predominantly aimed at students of the 3rd cycle and secondary school (age group: 12 to 17), it is integrated with the general population, aiming to promote awareness and education of the principles of ocean literacy and the guidelines of the National Ocean Strategy 2013-2020. It is intended that the young people involved use WEBGIS applications, in and out of the school environment, to develop monitoring activities, perception and reflection on the marine environment, enlisting their communities to marine environment preservation, and encouraging them at the same time to seek new and innovative solutions to the identified problems.
Summary of project results
The MyO_R2O project aimed to bring together a group of youngsters from schools near rivers to schools near the coastline in the reflection on the Sea, Ocean and Coastal Areas, using computational tools as a way to stimulate the exchange of data and knowledge . The overall objectives of the project were: • Mobilize schools for marine affairs; • To promote an improvement in the literacy of the oceans of Portuguese youth; • Contribute to improving the state of marine / coastal waters; • Conscientialize society about the preservation of the marine heritage; • Reflection on the problems of the marine environment. The 4 partner schools in the project collaborated in the dissemination of the activities, events and news of the project (120 stundents). EPGE, in the scope of cooperation with ASPEA in this project also spread all the activities on its facebook page (
https://www.facebook.com/aspea.org/) and youtube channel. For the dissemination / dissemination of the project to the school public and general public were used, preferably, the means of electronic dissemination, websites, social networks. A specific project web page (
http://myobservatory.wixsite.com/myo-r2o) was created which, together with the ASPEA website and the publication of news and press releases in local and regional media, of disclosure. A design banner and design poster was also created for the dissemination of the calendar of activities / events that were disseminated at events in which ASPEA participates or is invited. In the case of the national nature photography contest "From Rivers to Ocean", which is part of the 7 Principles of Ocean Literacy, as well as dissemination through ASPCA's social networks (facebook) and electronic sites. partner schools were sent mailing lists to schools from all regions of mainland Portugal and islands appealing to the envolvement and giving the project know itself. There was also a participation, which was not foreseen in the project, and which was only possible because there was external sponsorship (a Portuguese company with a branch in Rauma, Finland), which allowed 15 students from the Santa Maria College and the Gustave Professional School Eifell, to present our project to Finnish students, in an exchange called "Finnish-Portuguese School Week in Rauma", which was even publicized on Finnish television, local newspapers and the internet.
Summary of bilateral results