Project duration: 10/2025 – 07/2026

Status: ON-GOING

This project is funded by MetLife Foundation and MetLife Cyprus and is part of the initiative* ‘Increasing Marine Environmental Awareness Through The Creative Arts.’

The challenge

Coastal and marine environments in the Mediterranean face mounting pressure from human activities, leading to significant biodiversity loss. In Cyprus, these threats include unsustainable coastal development, marine pollution (e.g., litter, eutrophication), erosion, overfishing, and invasive species. Yet public understanding—especially among younger generations—remains limited, and emotional detachment from the sea is growing.

The solution

This project directly addresses this disconnect by blending environmental education with creative expression. Through interactive workshops, live storytelling performances, and dedicated teacher training seminars, the project engages not only children aged 3–12 but entire communities.

The program’s aim is not only to inform, but to restore our emotional and cultural relationship with the Mediterranean Sea. Using music, visual arts, movement, dance, drama, and storytelling, it fosters ocean empathy, builds a strong marine identity, and encourages a deep emotional connection to the sea as a living, nurturing force.

A strong emphasis is placed on inclusion, particularly reaching underserved and underrepresented groups, ensuring everyone has access to meaningful marine learning experiences. In parallel, qualitative data is being collected from both student workshops and teacher training seminars to evaluate the emotional and pedagogical impact of the Creative Arts in marine education.

* The initiative has been embraced by more than 50 schools across Cyprus and has gained international recognition, receiving distinctions such as the MakeEUBlue Special Award 2025, inclusion in UNESCO Ocean’s Blue Thread network, and a special mention by the BlueMissionMed initiative. Since 2022, it has been presented at numerous national and international conferences, promoting environmental empathy and action through science, education, and the Creative Arts. The project is also an active member of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” blue family.

Project’s deliverables

• 12 Creative experiential workshops for children (ages 3–12): the facilitators will empower young children, providing them with a feeling of ownership and emphasize that they too can be a part of the solution of the problem that our ocean and waters are facing. All workshops are based on Enalia’s environmental books for children, which were created thanks to funds from previous projects.
• 4 Teacher training sessions for educators: Teacher Training Sessions: These seminars aim to inspire educators to unlock their creativity, enhance their knowledge and teaching skills, and build confidence in teaching marine-related subjects through the Creative Arts. Participants will learn to use hands-on tools to extend their students’ learning in various subjects, including Literacy, Maths, History, and Geography just to mention a few.
• 2 “Here Only Monachus” interactive storytelling shows: This captivating storytelling show, featuring live music, focuses on the Mediterranean monk seal and its major threats. Curated by storyteller Marina Katsaris and musician Giannis Koutis, it is based on Vaggelis Gettos’ book, illustrated by Chloe Finn, published by Enalia Physis Environmental and Research Centre back in 2020 also entitled “Here Only Monachus”. The book can be found in Greek, here. Alternatively, one can also listen to the audiobook, here.
• 2 Full-day interdisciplinary educator conferences: one in Greek and one in English, promoting dialogue and knowledge exchange on ocean education.
• 1 Marine-themed awareness event for MetLife Cyprus staff and their families: this activity will help strengthen community corporate partnerships and expand the network of marine ambassadors beyond educational settings.
• 1 Beach clean-up and marine litter analysis with MetLife Cyprus staff.
• Provision Procurement of audio-visual/music equipment (microphones, laptop, instrument replacement): this action will support a more effective way of promoting the work through professional-grade content creation and live streaming capabilities.
• Translation and printing of educational materials in English: These action aims to expand the accessibility to materials related to marine literacy and environmental education.

The schools that Enalia team will be working closely, offering creative workshops for children are:

• Ayioi Omologites Social Welfare Kindergarten
• Paliometocho B’ Public Primary School
• Paliometocho B’ Public Kindergarten
• Kalogera Public Primary School
• Limassol D’ (‘Leto Papachristophorou’) Public Kindergarten
• Pano Kivides Public Kindergarten
• Ayia Napa Public Kindergarten
• Polemi Public Kindergarten

A bit about the organization

Enalia Physis Environmental Research Centre is a Cyprus-based non-profit organization established in 2009. The team is composed by experts in biological and environmental research and management, covering a wide range of fields such as conservation of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, marine and freshwater biology, fisheries, ecology, environmental education and geography as well as socio-economics. The organization aspires to become a strong environmental platform for research and to be able to influence decisions about the environment in a positive and constructive manner, utilizing their connection with an international network of collaborators. Their purpose is to conduct and promote environmental research in marine and terrestrial ecosystems and to encourage and enhance education and ecological awareness of the general public. Since 2009, education and public awareness are at the heart of Enalia’s actions in order to promote environmental conservation through progress in political, cultural and social change.

Funded by