Understanding blue skills through interactive games: an educational workshop organised by Ukrainian’s National Hub

Understanding blue skills through interactive games: an educational workshop organised by Ukrainian’s National Hub

Author: Black Sea Assistance Mechanism

The educational workshop “Understanding blue skills through interactive games” was hosted by the Ukrainian National Hub on 14 December 2024, as part of the “CMA in my country” campaign.  The workshop brought together teachers and children from schools across Ukraine to promote and support the development of the blue economy. It featured an interactive board game developed by the EU funded project ‘Strengthening capacity to promote and support the development of the blue and green economy in Mykolaiv’. The project aims to foster synergies between Ukrainian regions, replicability, and educational efforts in the blue economy field to raise awareness among schoolchildren on the importance of the ocean and sea. 

During the workshop, teachers and children from 6-10 grades played the board game where they developed conservation and development strategies for blue economy sectors and completed a whole food chain for marine species (such a pelican or a dolphin). Through the game they learned about the blue economy and the skills needed to work in five sectors: 1) sustainable tourism, 2) sustainable aquaculture, 3) green ports, 4) green and blue energy, and 5) blue navigation and vessels. The interactive game also presented information on the Black Sea biodiversity in an easy-to-understand format. 

The workshop successfully resulted in several key outcomes: 

  • Blue skills promotion with innovative methods and tools to enhance children’s understanding and capabilities;

  • Creation of valuable connections and partnerships among Ukrainian schools;

  • Evaluation of the interactive board game, whose results will be key for improving its effectiveness for next editions;

  • interest raised in developing blue economy skills among students, encouraging the next generation to explore a possible career within this field;

  • Interactive training for teachers to better impart knowledge about the blue economy to their students;

  • Overall assessment of the existing knowledge gaps about the blue economy, which will inform the development of future campaigns in this area. 

These achievements underscore the positive impact of the workshop, sparking children’s interest in the blue economy and providing teachers with a powerful interactive tool to promote these concepts in schools. The Ukrainian National Hub gathered valuable insights for future workshops, identifying gaps regarding young people’s knowledge about the blue economy.