A creative workshop inspiring fifth-graders to care for the sea

As part of the activities accompanying the photo exhibition “Reflections on the Sea”, the Via Pontica Foundation held a creative workshop with fifth-grade pupils from “Hristo Botev” Primary School, devoted to environmental education and the protection of the marine environment. The meeting with the children was a natural extension of the idea that the exhibition should not be merely a visual experience, but an occasion for conversation, reflection and the active involvement of young people in the themes of nature and its future.

The workshop was led by Prof. Pepa Miteva, who introduced the pupils to the role of art as a means of expressing an attitude towards the environment. Through discussion and creative tasks the children were encouraged to share their vision of the sea — how they perceive it today and how they would like it to look tomorrow. A central theme of the session was the idea of a clean, living and protected sea that will remain so for the generations to come.

With great imagination and enthusiasm the pupils created their own drawings, in which the sea came alive as a space full of colour, life and harmony. In many of the works the children’s personal attitude towards nature stood out clearly — a wish for it to be preserved, respected and loved. The act of drawing became not only a creative activity, but also a way for the children to make sense of their own role in protecting the environment.

The drawings will be displayed in the school building, where they will remain accessible to pupils, parents and visitors over the coming weeks. In this way the message of the workshop will reach a wider audience and will continue to remind us that care for the sea begins at an early age — through knowledge, sensitivity and personal example.

The creative workshop is part of the Via Pontica Foundation’s broader efforts to work with children and young people on topics related to the blue economy, sustainable development and the conservation of the Black Sea ecosystem. Through initiatives of this kind the foundation aims to build in young people not only awareness, but also a lasting attitude of responsibility towards nature.

The event was implemented with the support of the European Union — NextGenerationEU.