BlueGeneration kicks off Charter for Blue Education and receives EU4Ocean Award 2022

European Maritime Day, the annual meeting of ocean leaders, organised by the European Commission sees BlueGeneration project stand out
Cala d’Or 25.05.2022 – The BlueGeneration Project was in the spotlight during the European Maritime Day (EMD) conference that took place in Ravenna, Italy on the 19th and 20th of May 2022. Silja Teege - Manager Director of Sea Teach - on behalf of BlueGeneration signed a declaration that engages the project in the development of a Charter for Blue Education in Europe. This document was also signed by the European Science Marine Educators Association (EMSEA), Portuguese Directorate-General for Maritime Policy, and the French Office for Biodiversity. The official signing took place in a meeting with the Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, who welcomed and recognised the importance of the initiative.
Through its involvement in the Charter, the BlueGeneration Project confirms its engagement with blue education thus supporting societal transformation in Europe. It will also combine its experiences to steer the co-development of this new Charter. More European and global education networks will be invited to join this process and sign the Charter at the upcoming UN Ocean 2022 conference in Lisbon, as one of Europe’s contributions to the sustainable protection and management of the ocean and the achievement of SDGs. Furthermore, the BlueGeneration Project commits to the practical application of the principles of this new Charter in all its activities.

Silja Teege on behalf of the BlueGeneration signing the Charter for Blue Education in Europe together with three other blue education networks in the presence of Commissioner Sinkevicius.

After its signature, Silja Teege commented “We very much welcome this initiative and are proud to be part of the founding signatories that are paving the way for a Charter for Sustainable Blue Education in Europe. Our project has been ongoing for four years and our aim is to inspire young people to enter the Blue Economy – for education, for work experience, for VET training, employment or even self-employment. We have involved over 17.000 young people from 15 to 30 years, in more than 350 schools, employment agencies, training institutions, social inclusion NGOs and universities. The focus of the BlueGeneration Project is to constantly advance networking between the Blue Economy and the Youth”.
But that was not all! As part of the EU4Ocean Ceremony, the BlueGeneration Project received the 1st “EU4Ocean in Action” Award (Navy Blue) of the for its significant achievement in bringing forward ocean literacy in Europe, its efforts and initiatives in translating the spirit and principles of the EU4Ocean coalition, while mobilizing diverse communities.
While receiving the prize, Silja Teege said “We are delighted to be recognized for our work in this amazing way. This means a lot to us and our 12 partners, who come from 8 EU countries plus Norway. The BlueGeneration project is currently financed by the EEA and Norway Grants until the end of next year. But this is a long-term action, and we will continue our work as a Federation after that time and are starting this transformation process already this year.”.

Silja Teege receiving the EU4Ocean In Action Award on behalf of the BlueGeneration Project from Charlina Vitcheva, Director General of DG Mare, European Commission
Silja also took advantage of the event to invite all attendees to the International Conference of the BlueGeneration Project which will be held on 29th September this year and which will take place in Palma de Mallorca. The conference will be an opportunity to start the process of widening the network and introducing the project’s BluePrint Guide and inviting other organisations to become members in the BlueGeneration Federation. Registrations are now open! please click here to get your tickets.

BlueGeneration is an EEA Norway Grants funded project aimed to attract and engage young people between 15 and 29 years to pursue a sustainable career in Blue Economy in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
The Blue Generation project organizes info days about blue career prospects and offers free mentoring programs for those among the young who wish to pursue a career in seven subsectors of the Blue Economy: coastal tourism, aquaculture, ocean energy, marine biotechnology, shipbuilding, maritime transport and fisheries.
To succeed in this, the Blue Generation Project brings together experts from the Blue Economy and Youth organisations to share knowledge about skills needs, career paths, open job positions and existing training.