The Blue School Capacity-Building Training – Africa & Caribbean Regions is an initiative of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC–UNESCO), developed under the umbrella of the Ocean Teacher Global Academy (OTGA) and aligned with the Ocean Literacy With All (OLWA) programme and the Global Blue Schools Network (GBSN).

This course is developed under the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) and contributes to UNESCO–IOC’s mandate to strengthen Ocean Literacy, capacity development, and equitable access to ocean knowledge. Africa and the Caribbean include many countries where marine education infrastructures, teacher training systems, and ocean-related resources remain limited. Strengthening Ocean Literacy in these regions is essential not only for educational quality, but also for community resilience, climate adaptation, blue economy opportunities, and sustainable development.

By providing a common global framework adapted to local realities, this training responds to the Decade’s call for inclusive and transformative capacity development. It aims to reduce global inequalities in access to knowledge, support national institutions in creating sustainable Blue School networks, and empower educators to act as agents of change in their communities. Through multilingual resources, South–South collaboration, and shared lighthouse projects, the course helps create enabling conditions for long-term sustainability and regional ocean stewardship.

This initiative also supports the Ocean Literacy with All (OLWA) programme, fostering communities of practice that integrate science, education, and local knowledge. By strengthening coordination mechanisms and supporting culturally relevant learning, the course contributes to building a Decade Legacy where Ocean Literacy is embedded into national education systems and supported by sustainable partnerships.

Purpose

To develop capacities of national/regional coordinators and teachers in Africa and the Caribbean to implement, expand, and sustain the Blue School Programme using a shared global framework adapted to local realities.

Learning outcomes

The course aims to strengthen participants’ understanding of the Blue School model, integrating Ocean Literacy and ESD principles, while providing coordinators with practical procedures to establish and scale national networks. It also seeks to equip teachers to design certification-ready Blue School projects, promote regional collaboration through the Blue Helpdesk, and reinforce the implementation and visibility of lighthouse projects. Overall, the training contributes directly to IOC’s broader mission of ocean empowerment and capacity development.

The course has specific objectives tailored to coordinators and teachers.

For coordinators, it aims to support the design of national coordination structures, the development of school onboarding and monitoring processes, the establishment of national partner networks, and the drafting of three-year action plans with clear indicators.

For teachers, the training focuses on helping them integrate Ocean Literacy and ESD into their practice, develop Blue School projects aligned with certification criteria, collaborate across disciplines, and implement lighthouse projects in their school contexts.

Course content for the teacher pathway

M1: course structure and introduction 

M2: What is a blue school? 

M3: Becoming a Blue School 

M4 : teacher testimonies 

M5: Partner Network and inspiring projects 

M6: Lighthouse training – junior coastal monitoring  

Course content for the National and Regional coordinators pathway 

M1: course structure and introduction 

M2: What is a blue school? 

M3: Building a national Coordination team

M4 : Engaging and supporting schools 

M5: Partnerships and lighhouse projects

M6: planning, monitoring and evaluation

Language of instruction

English, Spanish, Portuguese

Instructors

Raquel Lorenz Costa (IOC–UNESCO)

Natacha Moreira (Oceano Azul Foundation)

Hugo Jesus (Oceanário de Lisboa)

Andira Guzman

Bernardo Mata

Caroline Schio

Oluwabunmi Yetu-Ande

Paola Diaz Canales

Stacey Alvarez

Stephanie Waniko

Veronica Relano

Viviane Mello

 Bernardo Leal

Target audience 

• National and regional Blue School coordinators

• Teachers and educators

• Members of related networks

• NGOs and government bodies

Estimate course duration

- teachers: 12 hours

- coordinators: 10 hours 

Enrolment

teachers course: https://classroom.oceanteacher.org/course/view.php?id=1284

code to enrol: BSGN-teachers#1284

code to enrol: BSGN-coord#1284

enrolement open 15 December 2025 and close 15 February 2026.

Learner assessment

this course will have pre test - quizzes during the course and a final assessment that needs to be completed by a certain date to be graded by the end of the course.

Assigments can be completed till 20 February 2026

Certificate

Participants must complete the required module activities. Coordinators must submit their final National Action Plan.

Teachers must submit a final Google Form reflection, explaining:

• how they plan to apply what they learned in their classroom/school,

• an example of a project that meets the Blue School criteria, and

• how they would prepare the implementation of the lighthouse project.

There are no exams; the assessment is fully based on practical, applied tasks.

Technology requirements/computer skills

• A computer or mobile device with a stable internet connection

• The ability to watch video content

• Basic digital skills (opening documents, uploading simple assignments, reading PDFs)

• No advanced IT skills are required.

Pre-requisites

none

Cost

This course has no tuition fees.

UNESCO is committed to promoting equal access principles. Applications from minority or underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged.

Feedback survey

At the end of the course, you will be asked to fill out a feedback survey. This information will be used to improve future courses.

Cancellation policy

In the event of cancellation of the course by the OTGA or its affiliates, we will provide notification of cancellation at least 7 days prior to the course date. In the event of cancellation by the attendee, we should receive notification of cancellation at least 7 days prior to the course date.