By DIVE Staff
The DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project has been officially recognised as an Ocean Decade Action by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, which recognises initiatives designed to help protect 30 per cent of the oceans by 2030.
It joins the pre-existing Ocean Literacy With All (OLWA) programme under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
First launched in January 2024, the DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project is a programme developed through a collaboration between Divers Alert Network (DAN) Europe and marine scientists with the stated mission goal of ‘making ocean education accessible and engaging by combining science, sustainability and storytelling.’
The project is based on a previous initiative using scuba diving as a gateway for environmental education named Scuola D’Amare (School of Love), which was launched in 2019 by PADI professionals under the approval of the Italian Ministry of Education.
Scuola D’Amare saw 180 PADI instructors train to deliver the Mediterranean-based programme, which was extended to more than 80,000 students in 17 Italian regions in just five years.
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The DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project evolved from Scuola D’Amare and is now taught in both Italian and English by DAN and PADI instructors in schools, dive centres and youth programmes.
The four core modules of Citizen Science, Plastic Pollution, Climate Change and Underwater Archaeology are available through eLearning courses designed to ‘make ocean knowledge accessible and engaging by combining science, sustainability and storytelling.’
UNESCO’s official endorsement of the programme will expand the Ocean Literacy Project to cater to people of all ages and nationalities by combining DAN Europe’s expertise in dive safety and science with PADI’s global reach.
A joint statement accompanying the news of the UNESCO endorsement says that the two organisations ‘aim to embed ocean literacy into the educational journeys of new generations and global communities, promoting sustainable ocean use, climate action and collective responsibility.’
‘UNESCO’s support is a powerful boost to our mission,’ said Laura Marroni, Executive Vice President of DAN Europe. ‘It strengthens our ability to spread marine culture on a global scale – reaching new audiences, in new places, and inspiring a deeper connection with the sea.’
‘This recognition by UNESCO reinforces the critical role divers play as ambassadors for ocean protection,’ said David Murray, Managing Director of PADI EMEA. ‘Together, we’re creating positive ocean change in everyday life, not just for divers, but for the global community.’
The DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project is available free of charge from oceanliteracy.edu.daneurope.org, and is also accessible through the TalentLMS app, available for iOS and Android (use the full domain https://oceanliteracy.edu.daneurope.org/ to log in to the app). Course progress is automatically synced across desktops and devices.
