Green School students participate in a beach-clean up at this year’s annual World Ocean Ambassadors Hang-Out (WOAH) Festival in June
Today, Green School’s passionate team of educators are joining forces with Parley’s powerful network of ocean ambassadors and activists to launch our Ocean Climate Action Course Series. This series is an extension of our mission to educate a community of changemakers around the globe who will regenerate our world, a mission that is shared by our friends at Parley.
Teachers and students everywhere can access Ocean Climate Action via the new Parley Ocean School virtual learning portal, and material will also be offered to educators taking our Green Educators Course. The three part series will take learners on a journey that starts with building a deeper understanding of – and connection to – our vast ocean ecosystems. From there, we delve into tools to help learners confront climate denial, think in circular and regenerative systems, and promote solutions to plastic waste pollution. In addition, every lesson offers a moment for personal reflection, through journaling and other tools, in order to facilitate a deeper emotional connection to the subject and help learners navigate through the difficult feelings these lessons can bring up.
Students at Green School enjoy participating in beach clean-ups as a group, or on their own anytime they spend time near the sea
The entire course is designed to answer two questions when it comes to saving our oceans, Why me? And Why now? Whether learners live near an ocean or are far removed, they will be inspired to take action in their communities by hearing stories from Green School students and teachers as well as Parley and its collaborators who are making an impact today. The course promotes systems thinking – a key component of the Green School curriculum – by cultivating an understanding of how various marine ecosystems connect with one another, and how they connect with and affect life on dry land as well. By the end of the course, learners will be able to integrate their own unique passions, perspectives and skills into ocean conservation work, and have the tools to track progress and build local support networks.
“Ocean Climate Action is a crash course into the knowledge needed to take positive steps in changing our relationship to our oceans,” explains course co-creator and educator, Noan Fesnoux. “It’s a great way to bring engaging content to students everywhere, covering topics like plastic pollution, circular economies, and media bias on climate change. Even for a seasoned, climate-aware educator such as myself, I find valuable learning throughout this course.”
Through her “Soul of the Ocean” project, our Middle School changemaker, Kaya, helped restore coral reefs in hopes of regenerating the marine ecosystem.
Green School and Parley’s Ocean Climate Action Course Series offering is just one of many collaborative courses now available via Parley Ocean School. Other courses include collaborative lessons and talks with oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, activist Captain Paul Watson, industrial designer Dave Hakkens, skipper and ocean advocate Emily Penn, former astronaut Leland Melvin, model and activist Anja Rubik, and many others.
Green School and Parley’s shared goal is to remove barriers to education and amplify access to the wonders of the oceans. These courses are designed to deepen learners’ understanding about the beauty and fragility of our planet’s largest ecosystem, and learn new ways of creating, thinking and living on this fast-changing, ocean-covered planet called Earth.