Escuelas Azules Chile

Chile is a deeply oceanic country: with over 83,850 km of coastline and one of the world's largest Exclusive Economic Zones, the ocean is central to Chilean identity, economy, history and culture. Yet ocean literacy remains largely absent from the national school system. A gap explicitly acknowledged by Chile's National Ocean Policy.

Escuelas Azules Chile is Chile's National Coordination of the Blue Schools Global Network (BSGN) of IOC-UNESCO and was established to bridge that gap. Operating under Chile's IOC Focal Point and aligned with the UN Ocean Decade 2021–2030, this program certifies schools that develop structured, interdisciplinary pedagogical projects centered on the ocean and its connection to their local territory.

Our vision is that schools across Chile, regardless of geography or socioeconomic context, become spaces where students develop a profound understanding of the ocean, recognize their place as inhabitants of an oceanic nation, and grow into active stewards of their ocean. The national program is designed to complement existing Chilean certification frameworks, including the National Environmental Certification System for Educational Establishments (SNCAE), which includes a marine-coastal track.

By 2030, Escuelas Azules Chile aims to certify approximately 100 Blue Schools across all 16 regions of the country, building a living community of practice that connects certified schools among each other and with the National Coordination, Chile's broader oceanic ecosystem, and with universities, research centers, coastal communities, NGOs, the private sector, and government agencies.

Escuelas Azules Chile is building strong institutional foundations, including a national action plan aligned with Blue Schools Global Network (BSGN) standards, a teacher training program, and partnerships with the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), Ministry of the Environment (MMA), universities, and civil society organizations.