“Dive into the Ocean”
HELMEPA’s new environmental education Program
It was with great satisfaction that HELMEPA received the approval of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs regarding the “HELMEPA Junior” environmental educational Program for the school year 2018-2019, titled “Dive into the Ocean”.
The execution of the new program is web-based. It is inspired by Goal 14 of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, titled “Life Below Water”. Its purpose is to inform and mobilize the new generation to protect the marine world. Furthermore, the Program includes the conduct of the Panhellenic Children’s Drawing Contest.
Approval was also granted for the operation of HELMEPA’s two permanent environmental Exhibitions, kindly hosted at the Ceres building in Piraeus and Costamare Shipping Company SA in Paleo Faliro. The Exhibitions are visited daily by Primary and High School pupils of Public and Private Schools of Athens and Piraeus, accompanied by their teachers. There is no entry fee to the Exhibitions, while HELMEPA covers their transportation expenses of Public Schools.
During their visit, schoolchildren are informed by HELMEPA’s scientific staff about the value of seas and oceans to our lives and the dangers they are facing due to human negligence and indifference. In addition, they are provided with the opportunity to “clean” a virtual beach and learn how many years it takes for various materials to decompose at sea, thus combining playing and learning and following the kids watch an environmental documentary. High school pupils get to learn about the shipping industry and “navigate” through an interactive digital program which contains useful information about marine ecosystems.
