In 2025, the Blue Schools project, launched by the European Commission to bring Ocean Literacy into classrooms, officially expanded to the entire Tuscan Archipelago, encompassing Elba Island, Capraia and Giglio Island.
The announcement, marking a fundamental milestone in promoting environmental awareness, was made during the closing evening of the seventh edition of SEIF - Sea Essence International Festival on 29 June 2025. It took place during a meeting dedicated to Blue Schools on the stage in Marciana Marina. Among the speakers was Sandra Castañer, Policy Officer at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), who highlighted the importance of the European Blue Schools Network and its role in educating and inspiring young people to care for the ocean and the environment.
Across the Tuscan Archipelago, the initiative is coordinated and promoted by Fondazione Acqua dell'Elba, with scientific support from the Tuscan Archipelago National Park (PNAT), the managing authority of the UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve "Tuscan Islands".
The five schools on Elba Island that had already received certification in 2024 - the "Sandro Pertini" State Comprehensive School (Portoferraio), the "G. Carducci" State Comprehensive School (Porto Azzurro, Capoliveri, Rio), I.S.I.S. "Raffaele Foresi" (Portoferraio), I.T.C.G. "Cerboni" (Portoferraio), and the "G. Giusti" State Comprehensive School (Campo nell'Elba, Marciana and Marciana Marina) - were joined by two new schools: the school on Capraia (part of the "Micali" Comprehensive School in Livorno) and C. Pisacane Primary School on Giglio Island (part of the Monte Argentario-Giglio Comprehensive School).
The Blue Schools Projects of the Tuscan Archipelago
As part of their journey towards joining the European Blue Schools Network, schools and comprehensive educational institutions across the Tuscan Archipelago developed a series of Ocean Literacy projects.
Casa del Duca Primary School and the Sandro Pertini Comprehensive School in Portoferraio developed the "Elbaggiando" project in collaboration with the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. The project focused on Elba Island, particularly its natural landscape, beaches and marine environment. Students took part in educational excursions to various beaches, where they explored Posidonia oceanica, seashells, marine wildlife and other marine organisms. They searched for animal tracks in the sand and paid particular attention to sea turtles, visiting areas of the island where these animals frequently nest. They also participated in environmental education activities, including beach and coastal clean-ups to remove plastic and other waste.
The Carducci Comprehensive School in Porto Azzurro presented the project "Monitoring the Coastal Environment and Citizen Science". Through a nature trail leading from their school to Reale Beach in Porto Azzurro, students discovered the plant biodiversity typical of Mediterranean scrubland, particularly along this stretch of coastline.
On the beach, they applied the MAC protocol for monitoring the emerged coastal environment, using portable microscopes, identification sheets and dichotomous keys to analyse and classify materials washed ashore. As part of the monitoring activities, students learned to identify organisms typical of the coastal environment and the main categories of marine litter. By examining and classifying the materials found on the beach, they developed hypotheses about the environmental health of the coastline.
ISIS Foresi in Portoferraio continued its "Marine Science" project for the second year. The initiative forms part of a two-year Natural Sciences programme within the school's scientific curriculum and aims to introduce the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) methodology into the study of marine sciences in English, in collaboration with the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.
Through the study of marine ecosystems, their delicate balance and the impact of human activities, particular attention was given to sustainable development and the importance of responsibility and awareness in individual and institutional decisions concerning tourism, the fishing industry, aquaculture, energy, conservation projects and environmental protection.
ITCG G. Cerboni in Portoferraio presented "Blue-Day", a project designed to raise awareness of marine conservation, strengthen teamwork and reinforce the connection between schools and their local communities.
Students attended conferences and marine biology lessons to deepen their understanding of marine ecosystems. They then designed and created an educational board game about protecting the sea, initially developing a digital version using Canva before producing a physical version. They also promoted the game and an environmental awareness campaign during "Blue Day", involving several classes from the school and local community.
The "G. Giusti" State Comprehensive School in Campo nell'Elba developed "Stories from the Shoreline", a multidisciplinary project centred on the shoreline as the meeting point between land and sea.
Students examined the quality and quantity of natural and artificial materials brought ashore and transformed by the sea. These objects were collected, catalogued and transformed into characters in stories imagined by the young students. The project resulted in 20 different stories and an illustrated book, presented on 29 June during SEIF 2025.
Monte Argentario-Giglio Comprehensive School - C. Pisacane Primary School on Giglio Island presented the project "Let's Protect the Sea".
The project focused on exploring the United Nations 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals, with particular attention to SDG 14 - Life Below Water.
Children explored the concepts of ecosystems and marine ecosystems, learned about seas and oceans, and reflected on the main threats to their health, including pollution and plastic waste.
Through the story of Chicco, a little fish inspired by the targets of SDG 14, the class used creative storytelling to explore and understand sustainability issues.
Meetings with a local small-scale fisherman and a marine biologist from Sapienza University of Rome gave students a deeper understanding of the fishing industry, particularly sustainable fishing practices, and the challenges associated with marine conservation.
Practical activities included sorting plastic waste for recycling, observing different types of plastic materials, watching educational videos about microplastics and ocean garbage patches, and participating in circle-time discussions about how everyone can contribute to achieving SDG 14.
The project was further enriched by the creation of summary posters, the collection of photographs and videos documenting the activities, and the writing of stories about the sea. Students from the combined fourth- and fifth-grade classes submitted their stories to a literary competition organised by the Circolo Culturale Gigliese.
"Giuseppe Micali" Comprehensive School, Livorno - C. Nolli School in Capraia, developed the project "Marine Biology Explorations and Experiences".
The project introduced children to the marine mammals of the Tuscan Archipelago and the Pelagos Sanctuary.
Activities were led by a National Park Guide, who introduced students to marine biology, the characteristics of cetaceans, the presence of the Mediterranean monk seal, and issues related to extinction risks and the impact of human activities.
This was followed by a workshop at the "La Salata" Environmental Education Centre, where children used images and life-size models of marine mammals - including bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, striped dolphins and Mediterranean monk seals - to learn how to identify similarities and differences between species.
The experience continued with a boat excursion around Capraia, giving students the opportunity to experience whale watching firsthand. The excursion was documented through a video.
The project concluded with the creation of a logbook and a final video documenting the activities, discoveries and emotions experienced by the participants.