Brazil Becomes the First Country in the World to Include the Ocean in Its National Curriculum

Did you know that Brazil is the first country in the world to officially include the ocean in its national school curriculum? In a historic move, Brazil has become a global pioneer by implementing the Blue Curriculum — an innovative initiative aimed at integrating ocean education across all levels of formal education.

The Blue Curriculum is a framework developed by UNESCO as a recommendation tool, designed to help governments embed ocean-related topics such as marine biodiversity, coastal sustainability, climate change, and ocean culture, into educational programs in a meaningful and interdisciplinary way. The framework contains guidelines and examples from all over the world on how to make the ocean present in the classroom.

Download the material

In Brazil, this initiative represents a transformative shift. Rather than treating the ocean as an isolated topic in science classes, it is now recognized as part of the country’s cultural, environmental, and social identity. After all, Brazil has more than 8,500 km of coastline, and over half of its population lives near the ocean. The sea is part of our daily life — from music and food to traditions and the future of our planet.

Why Does This Matter?

The ocean is largely absent from school curricula around the world. As a result, children today are missing out on essential knowledge about their future, the climate crisis, and the critical role the ocean plays in sustaining life on Earth. More than just facts, they’re missing the opportunity to understand how they can be part of the solution — and even pursue meaningful careers connected to ocean health, science, and innovation.

The ocean faces severe threats such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and acidification. To protect it, we must first understand it, and education is one of the most powerful tools we have.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela.

By bringing the ocean into the classroom, we empower a new generation of informed citizens, connected to nature and equipped to address global challenges with empathy, knowledge, and responsibility.

🇧🇷 Brazil's Global Leadership

Brazil didn’t start the adoption of a Blue Curriculum, it set the global standard. The country is now an international reference, inspiring others, mainly from the Global South, to follow suit. Schools across Brazil, both public and private, have already begun incorporating ocean themes into their lesson plans, with the Escola Azul program, creating engaging learning experiences that combine science, culture, art, and citizenship.

This achievement reinforces Brazil’s commitment to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14: Life Below Water.

The ocean is part of who we are, and now, it’s part of what we learn!

Want to know more about the Blue Curriculum and how to bring ocean literacy into your school, project, or community?

Stay tuned, in this blog we’ll be sharing resources and creative inspiration to help you navigate this exciting new wave!