Once again, All For Blue left its mark on Rhodes, bringing crucial environmental concepts to the forefront during our third visit under the TUI Junior Academy program. We engaged with students from five new schools (5th Gymnasium of Rhodes, 7th Primary School of Rhodes, 17th Primary School of Rhodes, 6th Primary School of Rhodes, and 2nd Primary School of Rhodes) during our educational seminars. Additionally, we organized beach cleanups with the 1st Primary School of Rhodes, the 14th Primary School of Rhodes,the 6th Primary School of Rhodes, and 2nd Primary School of Rhodes.
From November 8 to 10, our volunteers conveyed messages of respect and love for the environment to over 800 students. The educational seminars covered topics ranging from the marine ecosystem to the significance of biodiversity, circular economy practices, and the pervasive issue of plastic pollution. Notably, sharks captivated the young audience, who showed a keen interest in these fascinating marine creatures.
A key focus of the sessions was instilling a sense of personal responsibility for environmental protection. Through interactive discussions and hands-on cleanups on Zefyros beach (November 9) and Kova beach (November 10), students not only witnessed the environmental challenges posed by human activities, but also actively contributed to the solution. Over 100 kg of debris was collected during these cleanup initiatives, with single-use plastics and cigarette filters being on top of the list with the most common items.
The unusual discoveries during the cleanup added a touch of surprise, 2 mobile phone cases, a chair, a broom, a car tyre, and even a broken umbrella were among the weird items collected by the students. Some students took the initiative to bring collected waste back to school, intending to incorporate it into artistic projects for the school competition at the end of the year.
We would like to express our gratitude to the schools and teachers for their warm hospitality and enthusiastic participation in the TUI Junior Academy by All For Blue program, as well as to our volunteers who supported the action with their presence. We look ahead to our next set of visits to the beautiful island of Rhodes.
