Meet the schools series

Meet the schools: The Hatay Fen Lisesi school

Ocean & Waters Ambassador #3 of the year 2024

Our 3rd winner of the Ocean & Waters Ambassador award is Hatay Fen Lisesi, located in the city of Saraykent, Türkiye. From September 2024 to February 2025, the school carried out the inspiring blue project “Waste Awareness – Volunteer Effects” (WAVE).

Over six months, 400 students engaged in hands-on activities, helping to reduce plastic waste and improve water sustainability in their school and local area.

children involved

teachers involved

Activities:

The WAVE project offered a variety of activities, all driven by one mission: tackling hazardous substance and marine litter in the mediterranean sea.

To kick off the project, students began by calculating their water footprints, helping them identify ways to lower their personal water consumption.
Several field trips were also organized, offering students the chance to observe environmental issues firsthand and actively contribute to local clean-up efforts.
Thus, a beach clean-up was organised, giving students a direct look at the scale of the problem. On that occasion, they collected plastic bottles and caps, which were later recycled during a special campaign day.
In line with their goal of reducing waste and promoting environmental awareness, the project made use of almost exclusively digital materials, limiting paper consumption throughout the initiative. Additionally, the school installed water purifiers to reduce the use of plastic bottles on campus.
Finally, to broaden awareness, the students organised an exhibition of photographs related to pollution and climate change, helping to draw attention to the issue of marine litter.

“Thanks to the project, over 85% of participants strengthened their skills. Moving forward, future initiatives should focus on expanding their impact and involving a wider range of stakeholders.”

Twinning Initiatives

During the project, the Hatay Fen Lisesi School collaborated with the General High School of Axos in Greece, giving students the opportunity to work together on ocean literacy. This exchange and partnership allowed them to broaden their knowledge about the preservation of oceans, rivers, and water resources in both regions.

Network of European Blue Schools

While carrying out its blue project, the Hatay Fen Lisesi School took the opportunity to apply for recognition as a Blue School by the Network of European Blue Schools. We’re pleased to announce that they have successfully earned this certification.