"Along the Sea" is a unique environmental educational program, focusing on the marine environment, for the sake of protecting the sea. The program is operated through the cooperation of EcoOcean and the "Green Network".
The program imparts values of marine environment protection and activism. This program helps schools to create children leadership with the guide of a teacher. This leader group is the seed to increase the awareness for the environmental issues in the schools and in the community.
Every year approximately 500 school students learn about the marine environment as part of the program and enjoy experience-filled activities, mainly aimed at to increase the values for sustainability.
This year, our fourth year of activity, the program is operated in 20 elementary schools in the Arab and Jewish communities in Akko, Netanya, Rishon LeZion and Majdal Krum. Each school has set up a multi-age group, composed of 20-25 children, leading the program at their school.
The program includes:
- A professional guide, to instruct students and accompany the activity throughout the year.
- Qualifying teachers for an annual educational program.
- Assistance in establishing a learning center at each school, and helping with running programs for all school students.
- Tours along the coast.
- Acquaintance with marine biologists and other experts.
- Visit to the research ship the "Mediterranean Explorer" or to our visitors center in Michmoret.
- Meetings with other leadership groups focusing on environmental protection and the marine environment.
Program contents:
- Comprehensive learning about marine and coastal environment: plants, animals and life supporting systems.
- Importance of marine and coastal environment.
- Implications of ethnographic activities on marine environment. For example: fishing and hunting, recreation and marine sports, industry, construction and development projects, oil pollution, use of fertilizers and agriculture.
- Awareness of environmental issues connected to the coast and sea, introduction to organizations acting for the protection of marine environment and a review of their activities.
- The Mediterranean Basin: agreements and methods for protecting the common sea.
Aims and Objectives:
- Promotion of environmental education in my city.
- Creating a connection to the sea and the coastal communities.
- Increasing involvement of students, teachers, principals and parents in marine, coast and environmental issues.
- Promoting joint communal activities to benefit legislations intended to protect the sea.
- Reinforcing the network of connections within the community and between various coastal communities, in order to establish knowledge and the ability to act together to preserve the environmental.
- Implementing existing principals through environmental education.
- Developing a profound understanding of the implications of the current situation (water pollution, dirt and construction along the coastline etc.)
- Creating connections – through the program and schools – with public figures who can make changes.
- Reinforcing the connection and sense of belonging of students and the community to their surrounding, by looking back at the past and comparing it to the present, thus developing awareness and the ability to shape and change their living environment.