Forty young students from across the Mediterranean gathered at Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum this week for the inaugural ‘Rencontres Oceano pour Tous’.
The two-day event, held on 27th and 28th May, brought together primary and secondary school students from France, Italy, Greece, Algeria and Malta to share their conservation projects and collaborate on a multilingual manifesto for Mediterranean protection.
The gathering coincided with the conclusion of the 11th edition of the ‘Oceano pour Tous’ competition, organised since 2014 by the Oceanographic Institute in partnership with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and French national education authorities. This year’s contest rewarded 12 classes from primary and secondary schools.
The programme specifically targets students in priority education zones (REP, REP+), rural areas, and specialised classes (ULIS and SEGPA), aiming to provide ocean access to young people who might otherwise have limited exposure to marine environments due to social, educational or geographical barriers.
For the first time, five Mediterranean classes participated in a non-competitive strand, receiving the same educational support as their French counterparts through over 30 hours of online workshops per class, dedicated educational resources, and privileged exchanges with marine science experts. The initiative reflects the Oceanographic Institute’s broader Mediterranean programme aimed at fostering regional cooperation on marine conservation.
“This 11th edition marks a symbolic milestone with the introduction of a new Mediterranean component,” said Robert Calcagno, General Director of the Oceanographic Institute. “These young ocean ambassadors embody a promise for the future: that of a united and sustainable Mediterranean, built by and for those who will inhabit it tomorrow.”
Students engaged in hands-on marine activities including diving baptisms and snorkelling sessions with Monaco’s Underwater Exploration Club, alongside educational workshops at the museum’s ‘Mediterranean 2050’ exhibition.
The programme’s highlight proved to be the collaborative drafting of the ‘Young People’s Manifesto for the Mediterranean and Ocean’, written in six languages. The document includes students’ commitments and proposals for sustainable marine futures.
Support for marine education
The event witnessed substantial financial commitments to marine education. The Association of Friends of the Oceanographic Museum renewed its support with a €450,000 donation over three years to strengthen two additional Oceano pour Tous programmes.
Meanwhile, the Cuomo Foundation signed a new partnership agreement to expand Mediterranean outreach programmes, with particular support for the non-competitive strand designed to accompany classes from around the Mediterranean starting from the 2025-2026 edition.
Competition winners included Cannes’ Marcel Pagnol Primary School, whose students developed educational games about marine mammal protection and Posidonia seagrass conservation. Their project included creating a virtual tour of their Marine Educational Area and participating in seagrass restoration in Cannes Bay. The winning class earned a two-day discovery trip to Monaco.
Other notable projects ranged from coral preservation studies in Mayotte to mangrove protection initiatives in New Caledonia, demonstrating the programme’s impressive reach across French territories and overseas departments.
The competition benefits from financial support from the TotalEnergies Foundation, while activity partners include Monaco’s Underwater Exploration Club, Columbus Hotel Monte-Carlo, and Aqualung, which provided diving kits for participants.
Television personality Estelle Lefébure, competition patron for the third consecutive year and co-founder of marine conservation association ‘Spero Mare’, attended the ceremonies. “Through Oceano pour Tous, even those living far from coasts can understand ocean challenges and believe in their power to act,” she said.
The programme has engaged nearly 750 students throughout the current academic year, with ambitious plans to welcome additional Mediterranean countries in future editions as part of building a regional community of young marine ambassadors. The initiative has earned recognition with ‘La mer en commun’ labelling from France’s Ministry of Ecological Transition and ‘European Maritime Day’ certification from the European Union.
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