WMU Inspires Young Ocean Advocates Through Ocean Warrior Workshop

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The World Maritime University-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (WMU-GOI) hosted the Ocean Warrior Workshop at Malmö International School (MIS) on 5 June, engaging two preschool classes from the Early Years Programme (ages 5–6) in an interactive learning experience about the importance of protecting the ocean. By combining education, creativity, and action, the Ocean Warrior Workshop sought to strengthen ocean literacy from an early age and inspire the next generation of ocean stewards. 

The workshop opened with a collaborative exercise in which children imagined their “dream ocean” by acting out their favourite marine animals and exploring what a healthy, biodiversity-rich ocean might look like. Through a series of interactive stations, the students learned about different types of plastics, how plastic pollution reaches the ocean, and how currents can transport plastic debris across marine ecosystems around the world.

Using practical demonstrations, the children learned how long common plastic items remain in the environment and how marine wildlife can be affected through entanglement and ingestion. They were introduced to reusable alternatives to single-use products and learned about simple actions they can take to reduce plastic waste in their daily lives.

The workshop concluded with an ocean-themed story about a penguin taking actions with her friends to protect the marine environment, followed by the presentation of Ocean Warrior Certificates recognizing the children’s participation and commitment to becoming ocean advocates.

The workshop was organized by Aleke Stöfen-O’Brien, Associate Professor (Research/Ocean Sustainability, Governance & Management), and Ambre Pilet, Project and Communications Assistant at the WMU-GOI.

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