D-Marin, aiming to strengthen children’s ties with the sea from early ages, and the Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association (TURMEPA), working relentlessly towards protecting the Turkish marine environment, particularly the seas for future generations, collaborated for the third time in combining sea learning with technology. Supported by Muğla Provincial Directorate of National Education, firstly schoolteachers will receive a series of training within “I protect the seas with STEAM” project. Then they will encourage their pupils to embrace and protect the seas, help them think like a scientist, improve their understanding of nature, and create innovative ideas and projects by using innovative technology. The project also aims to teach children to embrace not only the nature, but all living creatures and take responsibility to protect them. With the help of the project, teachers will also be able to develop their mentoring skills and guide their students more effectively. In 2020, students produced many successful projects to tackle local environmental issues. This year, secondary school teachers will again pass the knowledge they have received from STEAM training workshops to their pupils to enable them to create more successful projects. STEAM training workshops are designed in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and cover Marine Ecosystems, Marine Pollution, Zero Waste and Plastic Waste subjects. As part of the project, students will develop projects by using technology and the 21st century skills.

Teacher selection process will be conducted by the Provincial Directorate of National Education in Muğla where D-Marin Turgutreis and Gocek marinas are also operating. In its seventh year, the STEAM training workshops will take place between 6th and 10th September in the Science and Arts Centre (BILSEM) where ten schoolteachers get training. During 5 days of training, ERTEV (Ermetal Technological Education Association) will teach teachers Innovation, 3D Design, Production Skills, Arduino Coding and Prototyping.

During the project, students will improve their innovative and rational thinking, questioning, solution-oriented thinking, exploratory competence and sharing skills by the special mentoring they receive from their teachers and training specialists. They will create innovative projects and produce solutions that will help keep our seas clean. Whilst doing that, they will have to make research about the problems in the sea and question the devastating impact of these problems on all ecosystems, primarily on marine life.