Bringing the Ocean to the Classroom

Ocean Academy is bringing a focus on ocean plastic to 50,000 U.K. students. We're sharing content to help.

In 2022, SC Johnson launched a new partnership with U.K. charity Ocean Generation, an authority on tackling ocean plastic pollution, to bring the ocean and its importance to classrooms across the United Kingdom. 

The partnership represents the next step SC Johnson took to drive education on the ocean plastic crisis, following The Blue Paradox, an immersive experience hosted on the topic in London with Conservation International.

Content from The Blue Paradox exhibition has been incorporated into Ocean Generation’s Ocean Academy program, an open-source digital learning hub with a toolkit of educational materials for teachers and parents.

Increasing Understanding to Inspire Action
The Ocean Academy program is a complete curriculum with accredited lesson plans for use online and in the classroom. Its content includes:

• An introduction to the ocean as a single interconnected water source supporting all life on the planet. 
• The multifaceted role of the ocean, including highlighting its role in the oxygen we breathe, controlling our climate, and regulating carbon levels.
• Our impact on the ocean, the challenges it faces and how we can make informed decisions to protect it better.
• The future of the ocean and inspiring young people to champion change, both at home and at school.

Engaging with Children and Communities
Ocean Generation is facilitating direct education through interactive presentations in schools across the U.K. Engaging with children, teachers and the wider community to inspire interest and action, the program will reach more than 50,000 pupils in the U.K., including engaging 15,000 students through in-person lessons.

“Young people, aged 24 years and under, account for over 40% of the world population, so their understanding of the ocean is critical,” said Richard Hill, CEO Ocean Generation. “This next generation are our future leaders, and to protect one of the earth’s most precious ecosystems, they must first understand its importance and fragility. We are thrilled to be working with an organisation like SC Johnson which shares our ambition for educating on the ocean plastics crisis and we look forward to growing the Ocean Academy programme together.”