Projects

Global Ocean’s Environmental Awareness Raising Workshops

The Global Ocean Environmental Awareness Raising Workshops proposal was to raise awareness for the importance of the conservation of seas and oceans among students of public schools located close to the sea. Participation was one of the objectives of the workshop and also has based its methodological process. The aim was to bring out the students feelings related to the beach, the sea and the ocean and to raise their prior knowledge on the themes presented. Then the aim was to build new ideas collectively based on their knowledge and on new information, contextualized to their reality. In the end the students should reflect on the subjects discussed, create conservation proposals for the seas and oceans and create artistic drawing panels, fomenting their imagination and creativity about the oceans.

The lack of previous bond with the classes was a challenge. It was necessary to build a trusting relationship right in the workshop beginning, in a few minutes, and attain the students' interest and attention. Another challenge was to register the workshops, while facilitating it. The need to play the facilitator and the photographer role at the same time was a hard task, however the registration was possible and everything worked out well.

The articulation with the schools was also a challenge. Many schools visited did not attend the targeted public of the workshops, for being too distant from the sea or for attending students of ages different from the pre-established for the workshop. Many times the reality of the public schools in Bahia makes the classrooms heterogenic in terms of age, as many students get late to school and others "repeat" the school year, becoming also "late" in relation to the school grade ideal age. Some schools visited were not very receptive to workshop proposal, however all schools we worked with, were receptive to the Global Ocean project immediately, and have facilitated its development.

The Global Ocean Environmental Awareness Raising Workshops 2008 were developed during three consecutive days in October, in six different schools, located along the Salvador City seashore.

Conclusion

The workshops were successful, attaining and even overcoming its proposed goals. Most of the collaborative institutions had shown interest in the continuation of this type of initiative, as every extra incentive for the students learning is welcome, especially when this impacts directly on their environment and daily lives. It is clear however, that continuous action and learning is necessary for the internalization of the ideas discussed. Some of these ideas were: the human need for oceans and seas conservation; the right for living creatures and species to survive; the need to keep biodiversity; and everyone's responsibility for marine conservation. Continuous action is also necessary for the empowerment of these students (and school community) to think and act for marine conservation.

Workshop Descriptions

Special thanks to Vanessa D'Oliveira, who coordinated and facilitated the Environmental Education Workshops.