The Marine Institute‘s Explorers Education Programme have launched the Explorers Super Hero Pop Art & Creative Writing competition, where all primary school children classes are invited to use the power of their imagination to save the ocean from climate change.
MacDara Flavin (9) from Scoil Shéamais Naofa, Barna, Galway launches Explorers Pop art and Creative writing competition (Credit Andrew Downes, XPOSURE)
Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute, the state agency for marine research and development, welcomed this exciting competition stating “this initiative helps teachers introduce marine concepts on the national curriculum, as well as providing children with a better understanding of the potential impacts that climate change will have on our ocean. With the drive of teachers and the amazing imaginative power of children, we hope this will help create new inventive and inspiring solutions to overcome and adapt to the climate change issues affecting us in Ireland and around the world.”
As an island nation, the ocean that surrounds Ireland buffers us against the extreme climates that some other countries in the world are facing. However, the ocean is changing at a rapid pace where Ireland is seeing changes in the distribution of fish stocks to increasingly extreme weather events and coastal flooding.
National Explorers Pop Art & Creative Writing Competition launched to inspire an Ocean Super hero (Credit Andrew Downes, XPOSURE)
Supported by Galway Education Support Centre, Director Ms Carmel Burns said “the Explorers Pop Art & Creative Writing Competition is a fantastic initiative for teachers throughout Ireland, linking science, geography, technology, art and creative writing in a cross curricular project. Providing children the chance to work together collectively as a class and choosing the positive values of a super hero that cares for our ocean is an excellent moving force for children and teachers. By working together with their friends, families, schools and communities, to come up with real or fanciful ideas – anything is possible,” Ms Burns added.
“With state of the art research vessels, marine technology and leading scientists and researchers, the Marine Institute is working to understand how global climate change will affect our people, our economy and our marine environment. With collecting data on the changes in the ocean and the weather, we can aim to forecast the changes and contribute to slow down and mitigate the effects of climate change,” explained Dr Connolly.
“By bringing science, art and creative writing together, the aim of the Ocean Superhero competition is to cultivate the children’s imagination, creating new ideas and solutions when addressing issues of environmental care and climate change. The idea of creating an ocean super hero aims to help create a sense of hope for children at a time of adversity in the world, when the impacts of climate change can seem extremely challenging,” said Cushla Dromgool-Regan, Explorers Education Manager from Camden Education Trust, coordinating the competition.
The winners of the competition will see their artwork and stories showcased as part of the Marine Institute exhibit at Seafest, Ireland’s largest maritime festival, which coincides with European Maritime Day 2020, in Cork (14th -15th May). A shortlist of VIP winning classes will be invited to visit the Marine Institute’s research vessel and its exhibition, at Seafest, where they will get to meet world-leading speakers and scientists who are all working towards Ireland’s challenge in responding and adapting to climate change.
For further information, entry details about the competition and other great prizes please see www.explorers.ie The Explorers Education Programme is funded by the Marine Institute, Ireland’s state agency for marine research and development.
