Saltwater Schools

Client: Marine Stewardship Council

The Brief: To launch an education program in Australia with classroom resources developed in collaboration with teachers, for ocean literacy outcomes.

We helped the Marine Stewardship Council to develop a free education program in Australia, Saltwater Schools which offers curriculum-aligned classroom resources to teachers and parents on topics of marine sustainability. Working with teachers all around Australia, we have developed and implemented an education program strategy targeting students in Science, Geography, Maths and English, Stages 3 to 5. So far we have created 32 lessons and activities, including series of World Ocean Day, Science Week and Christmas-themed resources, and with a new series of content in development.

In 2022, we launched the first Indigenous-themed Saltwater Schools lesson, teaching students the names and cultural significance of marine species for the Dharawal people in Sydney’s south. This project has involved desk research, interviews, project strategy, design, report writing, distribution, partnership building and activations.

The Result: The Saltwater Schools has reached over 100,000 students through virtual events, Q&A sessions and classroom lessons. A growing community of teachers and students are involved with marine sustainability education and practical activities as the program continues.