Help young people tell the stories of our seas, lakes and waterways
A practical digital storytelling journey for educators and youth workers who want to bring ocean, freshwater and sustainability learning closer to young people.
DigiBlue invites schools, youth organisations, NGOs, museums, science centres and local communities to join a shared learning and storytelling initiative. Together, we help young people explore local water challenges, create digital stories, and share their ideas with their community and wider audiences.
Why DigiBlue?
Young people care about the future, but sustainability education often feels too abstract, too scientific, or too far away from their own lives. DigiBlue turns marine and freshwater sustainability into something practical, creative and local.
Through hands-on work, mentoring and digital storytelling, young people explore real issues connected to seas, rivers, lakes, harbours and coastal communities. They create short stories, videos, campaigns or digital concepts that connect science, place, culture and action.
The DigiBlue Journey
Join → Explore → Create → Share → Connect
Educators and youth workers join the DigiBlue community and receive simple formats, inspiration and support. Young people then explore local blue sustainability themes, from marine biodiversity and pollution to coastal livelihoods, freshwater systems and climate adaptation.
They create digital stories or campaign ideas and share them through the DigiBlue online exhibition, local pop-up exhibitions, online platforms, or local events. All participants are invited to virtual exchanges with global youth as part of the Global Education Week.
👇 Read more about the Global Education Week below.
Who is it for?
⚪ Educators who want ready-to-use, creative sustainability learning formats.
⚪ Youth workers who want engaging project activities for young people.
⚪ NGOs and community organisations working with ocean literacy, climate, youth participation or local development.
⚪ Museums, science centres and municipalities that want to involve young people in blue sustainability communication.
What participants can do
DigiBlue is purposefully modular to support different contexts. What you can and want to do to support the youth creative process to make local digital stories about blue citizenship depends on your local situation and resources.
You can consider the following actions:
🪸 Run a DigiBlue workshop.
🪸 Connect with mentors and other organisations.
🪸 Share youth voices through local or international showcases.
🪸 Use DigiBlue as part of school, NGO or community programming.
The DigiBlue initiative provides you with free learning materials and templates, coordinated support to meet with other youth groups during Global Education Week, and opportunities to connect with blue economy experts.
Check out the self-paced online course Digital Storytelling for Blue Citizenship | BonoLab
What is Global Education Week?
Global Education Week (GEW) is a worldwide campaign that inspires educators and communities to engage learners in global citizenship, sustainability, human rights, and social justice. Coordinated by the Council of Europe’s North-South Centre, GEW encourages people of all ages to connect local actions with global challenges and work together towards a more sustainable future.
The Global Education Week is part of iLEGEND III: Intercultural Learning Exchange through Global Education, Networking and Dialogue, a joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe. The campaign is implemented in participating countries by the Global Education Network.
In 2026, the Global Education Week takes place from November 16-22. We organise DigiBlue virtual exchanges during this week to connect with youth worldwide and promote the values and principles of global education.
DigiBlue pilot in 2025
DigiBlue was piloted in 2025 and delivered strong results, inspiring us to expand it into an annual initiative. Read the summary report here: DigiBlue turned blue citizenship into digital stories | BonoLab and check out the DigiBlue Online Exhibition | BonoLab
Below are a few quotes from last year’s participants:
What does blue citizenship mean to you personally?
To me, blue citizenship means caring for our rivers and oceans by making small everyday choices that keep our water and our planet healthy.
– DigiBlue course participant
Blue citizenship in my life: It means being aware every day of how my actions affect the ocean — using my creativity and communication skills to inspire others to care for our shared blue world.
– DigiBlue course participant
The message I want to share is about how I, the ocean, feel—how human actions like pollution, overfishing, and climate change affect me, but also how much I still give and how much I need care and respect in return.
– DigiBlue course participant
We hope you find it exciting to join the DigiBlue Network. If you wish to know more before joining in, feel free to ask the DigiBlue coordinator, Piret Liv Stern Dahl, for further information (piret@bonolab.com).
