More information
Description
The “BlueMind~Blue School” project aims to ensure that water sports in schools in Portugal can be equipped with two essential tools for creating value and sustainable growth in the blue economy. These tools, factors of sustainability, are (i) security and (ii) blue ethics. In this sense, the project is organized according to these two areas of action, creating an integrated offer of added value to water sports in a school environment, and which is distinguished from the curricular offer, aiming to training young people, agents and educators for the main challenges and education opportunities in a blue economy, which is based on blue ethics, built in blue schools, promoted by blue minds. It is proposed to do so by the creation of the itinerant training center “BlueMind”, which will persist in the post-project period like other promoter’s training centers, and by carrying out training and promotional actions “BlueMind~Blue School” in Blue Schools of mainland Portugal and in the Azores, aimed at lower and upper and secondary students, as well as a conference" BlueMind~Blue School" for blue economy stakeholders (teachers, researchers, partners, etc.). With an international team from Portugal and Norway, the project allows the meeting of three areas of activity by individuals with recognized qualifications, namely the framing of adaptation and safety techniques in the water environment in the theories and methodologies of teaching and learning, combined with a social pedagogy for inclusion. It also innovates in the integration of the project''s core areas, associating them in an innovative and promising way, namely in the border areas between values and inclusion, ethics and environment, safety and rescue, breathing and breath holding.
Summary of project results
The BlueMind~BlueSchool project emphasized the urgent need to become aware of the educational potential of the ocean and water sports for the personal, social and civic education of children and young people, future citizens and leaders, ensuring that water sports in schools in Portugal can be equipped with two essential tools for creating value and sustainable growth in the blue economy. These tools, factors of sustainability, are (i) security and (ii) blue ethics.
It did so through the creation of an itinerant training center “BlueMind”, a semi rigid boat along with a pre-existing motorhome which will persist in the post-project period like other promoter’s training centers, and carried out training and promotional actions “BlueMind~Blue School” in Blue Schools of mainland Portugal and in the Azores, aimed at lower and upper and secondary students, as well as a conference "BlueMind~Blue School" for blue economy stakeholders (teachers, researchers, partners, etc.).
Even facing outstanding circumstances unforeseen at the project application – the COVID-19 pandemic – the project was able to find solutions to the external constraints verified, having even surpassed the goals initially proposed. The project''s set of training and awareness-raising activities in ocean literacy contributed to the direct reach of 297 young people from Blue Schools (compared to the initially estimated 120) and the quantified reach of more than 8,000 people on social networks. The project also mobilized 37 stakeholders in the areas of education and water sports, including teachers, managers and local partners.
Based on recorded testimonies, the end beneficiaries evaluated their training activities in the project as transformative and impacting the way they integrate ocean activities and personal/ social development and their teachers considered the training programs as very innovative and a unique offer in the framework of existing programs for schools, namely how it was done in the border areas between values and inclusion, ethics and environment, safety and rescue, breathing and breath holding.
This results in high demand for continuing these programmes in schools and the opportunity to capitalize the existing partnership of the project between Education, Sports and Maritime Policy authorities (DGE, IPDJ and DGPM, respectively), as well as with the other national and local partners which the project mobilized, such as NGOs, private companies and municipalities.
Summary of bilateral results
With an international team from Portugal and Norway, the project allowed an innovative meeting point of three areas of activity by individuals with recognized qualifications, namely the framing of adaptation and safety techniques in the water environment in the theories and methodologies of teaching and learning, combined with a social pedagogy for inclusion.From the donor states, namely from Norway, the project included a partner as an individual consultant, Dr. Solfrid Raknes. A leading and renowned psychologist and author of pedagogical resources for children, Solfrid Raknes is a regular contributor and partner of the promoter for many years and her expertise in social inclusion through informal education was considered a relevant asset for the project, as it proved to be a correct assumption during the project implementation Not being bilateral cooperation a primary or exclusive feature of the project, the fact that a qualified member of the project team (that happens to be Norwegian) allowed the virtuous development of an innovative approach to a program that promotes ocean literacy and safety, personal and social development of children and youth, at the same time bringing cohesion and inclusion in the school communities.For that reason, we believe that the participation of Solfrid Raknes brought an important light to the development of the educational programs of the project, as well as contributed to the importance of bringing back the project to its baselines of inclusion tool.