Ocean Olympics: education, science and citizenship for sustainable development

The Ocean Olympics - O2 is an invitation to the development and wide sharing of actions involving education, science and citizenship for sustainable development. The Ocean Olympics was created in 2021 in Brazil and after its 4th edition in 2024, over than 120,000 registered people from all over Brazil who, living near or far from the sea, set an example of engagement, knowledge and quality productions on ocean literacy.
O2 is an educational project involving the whole society to promote ocean literacy. O2 is for everyone and with everyone, and individuals, institutions that are part of the formal education system or institutions that promote non-formal teaching spaces are welcome. Contributing to the formation of a Generation Ocean, this initiative aligns with the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021 - 2030) and actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.
From local to global, the Ocean Olympics works with scientific concepts, pedagogical and cultural activities and local realities in a proactive, innovative, inter- and transdisciplinary way. By stimulating and expanding the visibility of education and socio-environmental actions in all social and geographic realities, O2 is an opportunity for collaborative learning and positive transformation of education. It is based on three modalities (Knowledge, Social-environmental project and Artistic, cultural and/or technological production) and cross-cutting themes, which are opportunities to discuss contemporary themes and integrate this knowledge with ocean literacy.
Throughout these 4 editions, 200 students from public basic education schools have been selected, according to specific criteria on inclusiveness, and awarded with scientific initiation scholarships from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil. They have been developing projects about ocean literacy in their local communities. 
The diversity of participants and products demonstrates the potential to address the issue of ocean sustainability, whether we are close to or far from the ocean and regardless of our age or school level.