Twenty-five certified Blue Schools took part in a meeting at Redeiras. CEIP Espiñeira de Aldán won first prize
Teachers from the 25 Galician educational centres that obtained Blue School certification this year took part this morning in a meeting organised by the Galician Blue Schools Network as part of the Nereida project. The network, coordinated by the Marine Research Centre (CIM) of the University of Vigo, also includes the Port Authority of Vigo, Fundamar, the Cetmar Foundation, the Marine Research Institute (IIM-CSIC), and the companies 13grados, North Wind and Arenaria Coordinación. The event provided an opportunity to share experiences, present projects developed throughout the academic year, and recognise the most outstanding initiatives through the presentation of the Nereida Awards.
The first prize was awarded to CEIP Espiñeira de Aldán for the project From the Sea is Born the Blue of Life. The award was presented by the President of the Port Authority of Vigo, Carlos Botana, who congratulated the teaching staff for their work and encouraged schools to continue promoting initiatives of this kind. “We must continue bringing the ocean closer to younger generations so they can understand its potential and the importance of protecting it,” he stated.
The second prize was presented by Rosa Chapela, Director of the Cetmar Foundation, to the project O mar by CEIP Zalaeta. The third prize went to Colegio Plurilingüe Alba for Aqua: From River to Ocean, with the award presented by María Caldeiro, Manager of Fundamar. In addition, Colegio Amor de Dios received the fourth prize for the project Blue Link. The jury also granted six special mentions to the projects Ti si que sabes a mar (CEIP Huberto Juanes), El pulpo, un misterio en diez preguntas (Colegio Divino Salvador), A School Open to the Sea (CEIP Carrasqueira), SOS, salvemos la ría (Colegio Labor), Mergullándonos no azul (CEP Carreira), and Blue Heroes (CEIP Sabarís).
Bringing Ocean Literacy into Educational Projects
The meeting, held this Thursday at the Redeiras Building of the University of Vigo, brought together teachers from across Galicia who have spent the past year promoting ocean literacy among students. Participants visited the Galician Blue Schools Network stand at the Portocultura fair and took guided tours of the Nautilus underwater observatory and the historic vessel Hidria Segundo at the Port of Vigo. They also had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the operation of the fishing port through a guided visit, strengthening their direct connection with Galicia’s maritime and fisheries sectors.
During the event, CIM researcher and coordinator of the Galician Blue Schools Network, Andreu Blanco, highlighted the significant growth of the initiative in recent years. He explained that, thanks to the Nereida project, funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), 25 new Galician schools were certified as Blue Schools between 2025 and 2026. In addition, 14 certification applications are currently under evaluation by the European Union.
Blanco noted that these figures demonstrate the growing interest among educational centres in incorporating ocean literacy into their teaching projects and in making the ocean a central element of learning. “We are seeing more and more schools recognise that the ocean can serve as a cross-cutting educational tool for addressing sustainability, science, and connections with the local environment,” he said.
The CIM holds the CIGUS recognition awarded by the Xunta de Galicia, which certifies the quality and impact of its research. Its activities are co-funded by the European Union through the ERDF 2021–2027 Programme.
Source: DUVI
