The Ocean Race takes gold for education

Volvo Ocean Race Sustainability Education Programme 2018 © Jesus Renedo / Volvo Ocean Race

A learning programme developed by The Ocean Race has been named the "Gold Award Winner" in the sustainability category at the Reimagine Education Awards in London this week. Dubbed the 'Oscar Awards' of education, the Reimagine Education Awards took place in London at a conference featuring innovators and leaders in pedagogy including teachers, academic faculty and leadership, ed-tech founders and developers and leading employers.

The awards are voted on by an extended panel of over 180 international judges looking for projects that display outstanding standards for innovation, scalability, efficacy, and uniqueness. Over 1500 education innovators from 84 countries applied for the awards in one of 16 categories.

The Ocean Race was recognised for developing a sustainability education programme for educators to use with children aged 6-12 years old. The programme has been translated into seven languages and used by over 100,000 kids in 42 countries. The focus of the education programme is on ocean health and the plastic pollution crisis, and it was developed to spark enthusiasm for ocean conservation through enquiry-based exercises and active learning.

"The topics are designed to offer an exciting way for children to learn more about sustainability, with a particular focus on the plastic crisis affecting our seas," said Lucy Hunt, the Learning Programme Manager for The Ocean Race.

The Ocean Race is a fully-crewed, around the world yacht race, and is known as the ultimate test of a team and a human adventure like no other. For over four decades it has kept an almost mythical hold over some of the greatest sailors in the world, as well as a becoming a platform to amplify environmental and sustainability awareness.

The Education Programme has been developed with the support of Premier Race Partner 11th Hour Racing and Official Partner Bluewater, and consists of online, curriculum-based modules that give children the opportunity to learn about the Race, ocean plastic pollution - and how they can be part of the solution.

The Race also holds learning sessions in stopovers and local schools on six continents around the world, engaging teachers and students on issues around ocean health, science, geography and global citizenship.

"The programme gives insight into the exciting world of yacht racing and ocean health whilst contributing to a range of national curricula, with all the resources easily downloadable through our website," Hunt explained.

The Education Programme is centred around five topics; 'What is The Ocean Race?' 'Our Ocean Connection and Ocean Plastic Pollution' 'How to reduce plastic pollution', 'My Positive Plastic Footprint' and 'Science and Sailing'.

The Ocean Race is now developing a similar curriculum aimed at second level students which will be available to students and educators ahead of the next edition of the race which is scheduled to start from Alicante, Spain, the home port of the race, in the autumn of 2021.

www.theoceanrace.com