Red Española de Escuelas Azules
The National Coordinator for Spain was officially established in 2024.
316 schools engaged by July 2026.
Description
The Spanish Network of Blue Schools supports educational centres across Spain in integrating blue education and ocean literacy into the school curriculum. We contribute to the Network of European Blue Schools, and our mission is to make blue education a formal part of the official curriculum while connecting schools with an active community of teachers, researchers and organisations committed to a more conscious and responsible relationship with the ocean and inland waters.
The network was created in January 2024 and officially launched in November 2024 during the 3rd ReeducaMar Conference, organised by the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO) in Segovia. It grew out of earlier pioneering initiatives the Erasmus+ project "We Are Blue Schools" in Mallorca and early ocean-education experiences in Catalonia, and is coordinated nationally by the Blue Schools Cluster, based in Mallorca.
National objectives
Promote a continuous commitment to marine conservation and embed ocean-related content within the school curriculum.
Accompany schools through the certification process to become European Blue Schools.
Build a national community where teachers and centres share projects and good practices.
Connect marine science with formal and non-formal education across every region.
Link educational centres with funding and support opportunities to develop their blue projects.
Regional coordination
The network operates through a network of regional coordinators that expand its reach and connect marine science with schools in each territory: Sea Teach (Balearic Islands), Institut de Ciències del Mar & Plancton Divulgació (Catalonia), University of Vigo (Galicia), CORI (Region of Murcia), L'Oceanogràfic (Valencian Community), AZTI (Basque Country), Aquarium of Gijón (Asturias), Navigatio (Cantabria), CEIMAR (Andalucia) and PLOCAN ( Canary Islands).
Examples of activities
Certification and mentoring of schools as European Blue Schools; ocean-literacy activities in classrooms; sharing of educational resources, guides and experiences; connection of centres with European programmes such as ProBleu, BlueLights and Shore; and networking events that bring together teachers, scientists and collaborating organisations.
History of success
Sun&Blue Congress Award 2025 for Cooperation in the Blue Economy
The Spanish Network of Blue Schools received the Sun&Blue 2025 Award for Cooperation in the Blue Economy, recognising the collaborative model that connects schools, marine scientists and regional organisations across Spain. Check this link
A nationwide network recognised at the official launch (3rd ReeducaMar Conference, MITECO, 2024).
The network was formally presented at the 3rd ReeducaMar Conference, organised by the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO). At launch, Spain already counted 131 certified European Blue Schools across nine territories — 94 in the Balearic Islands, 10 in Catalonia, 7 in the Valencian Community, 6 in the Region of Murcia, 5 in Galicia, 3 in the Canary Islands, 3 in Cantabria, 2 in the Basque Country and 1 in Ceuta — one of the most consolidated national contingents within the Network of European Blue Schools. The network has kept growing since through its regional coordinators. Check this link
National press feature: "Escuelas Azules, the revolution changing the school curriculum" (El Español, 2026)
A feature in El Español documented the network's impact across regions: in Murcia, students in the CanGoDeep challenge designed devices able to record at 100 m depth; in Galicia, schools collaborate directly with fishers to understand marine biodiversity and promote responsible consumption; in the Valencian Community, beach clean-ups led students to cut single-use packaging at home; and Balearic students presented their work to the European Commission at European Maritime Day in Cork (2025). The article highlights how the programme shifts students' perception of the sea from a recreational space to an ecosystem to protect, while engaging families and building a teaching community. Check this link
School project examples
Biofouling traps – Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofía (Mallorca)
Within the European ProBleu programme, students of 3rd and 4th year of ESO designed, built and installed biofouling traps at Marina Port de Mallorca to study how marine organisms — including Mediterranean invasive species — colonise a real port environment. Older students then handed the project to younger ones to continue it the following year, connecting school, science and the local community. Check this link
CanGoDeep challenge – secondary schools of the Region of Murcia (CORI)
Students from several secondary schools build a low-cost device able to descend at least 100 m, film the seabed for 10 minutes and return to the surface on its own, making all footage available to the scientific community. Endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science, it shows that deep-ocean exploration is possible with affordable means. Check this link
Misión Azul – University of Vigo / CIM (Galicia)
The University of Vigo's marine science team developed integrated teaching units for primary and secondary education, based on the seven ocean-literacy principles and the effects of climate change on the ocean. Each unit includes teaching material, a teacher's guide and an activity workbook, freely available in Spanish and Galician. Check this link
Educational games project – Institut Antoni Ballester (Catalonia)
As part of its Blue School work, students created their own educational board games about the sea, which were professionally printed and used as learning tools — an example of project-based learning that turns ocean literacy into hands-on, student-made resources. Check this link
