The Sea Needs You: Turning Knowledge into Action for Marine Conservation

The Sea Needs You (Project No: 2024-3-TR01-KA153-YOU-000283365) was implemented as a Mobility of Youth Workers project in Kastamonu, Türkiye, between 10–17 May 2025. The project was hosted by Taşköprü Yerel Eylem Grubu Derneği with IF Association participating as a partner organization. Youth workers from Italy, Azerbaijan, Ireland, Spain, and Türkiye came together to strengthen environmental awareness, improve professional competencies, and exchange good practices on marine conservation through non-formal education.

The project combined interactive learning with scientific knowledge to help participants better understand the challenges facing marine ecosystems. A workshop focusing on harmful marine species introduced participants to invasive and poisonous sea creatures, their impact on biodiversity, tourism, and public health, and the preventive measures that can be taken by coastal communities. Through expert-led discussions, collaborative analysis, and report preparation, participants strengthened their critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills while learning how evidence-based knowledge can support environmental protection.

Practical learning was reinforced through direct engagement with local stakeholders and hands-on educational activities. Participants met with local fishermen to explore the realities of sustainable fishing, marine pollution, and the daily challenges faced by coastal communities. By exchanging experiences through interviews and dialogue, they developed empathy, broadened their perspectives, and gained a deeper understanding of how environmental responsibility must be shared between citizens, professionals, and policymakers. Experimental activities also demonstrated the long-lasting effects of marine pollution by allowing participants to experience how difficult it is to restore contaminated water, making the environmental consequences of human actions both visible and memorable.

The project also emphasized personal growth, communication, and intercultural understanding. Creative activities encouraged participants to introduce themselves through visual storytelling, improving self-expression, creativity, and emotional intelligence while strengthening relationships within the international group. Youthpass reflection sessions helped participants recognize their own learning journey, evaluate newly acquired competences, and appreciate the value of gratitude, constructive communication, and lifelong learning. Throughout the activities, participants became more aware of their personal development alongside their professional growth.

Intercultural learning remained an essential part of the experience, with participants exploring Türkiye's rich history, traditions, cuisine, music, and cultural diversity while sharing their own backgrounds with one another. The project concluded with comprehensive reflection activities that encouraged participants to evaluate the project from multiple perspectives, identify its strengths, discuss opportunities for improvement, and celebrate the friendships and international cooperation built throughout the mobility. As a result, participants left the project equipped not only with stronger environmental awareness and practical knowledge about marine conservation but also with enhanced communication, teamwork, leadership, intercultural competence, and the motivation to promote sustainable practices within their own communities.