Oceano Azul Foundation and Oceanário de Lisboa support school sports with a donation of nautical equipment

17 de junho de 2019
The Oceano Azul Foundation and Oceanário de Lisboa delivered 29 pieces of nautical equipment to the National School Sports network. The goal is to bring the new generation closer to the sea through water sports and to inspire them to become more active citizens in the conservation and sustainability of the ocean.

The 29 donated pieces of nautical equipment include 12 Laser Bahia boats, 2 Access sailboats for adapted sailing and 15 Stand Up Paddle boards, an investment of over 130 thousand euros.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, the Minister of the Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino, the Secretary of State for Youth and Sport, João Paulo Rebelo, the Director General of Education, José Vitor Pedroso, the President of the Board of Directors of the Oceano Azul Foundation and the Lisbon Oceanarium, José Soares dos Santos and the CEO of the Oceano Azul Foundation, Tiago Pitta e Cunha.

According to the Minister of Education, “With this initiative, we are educating a new generation to have more knowledge, greater awareness and be able to make responsible decisions about the ocean and its sustainability.”

José Soares dos Santos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Oceano Azul Foundation and Oceanário de Lisboa, argues that “we will not be able to be a sea country without young people. But we will not achieve young people if we do not promote their connection to the sea. For this reason, this project contributes to one of the Foundation’s and Oceanarium’s main objectives, to prepare a blue generation in Portugal, a commitment we made three years ago with the creation of the Foundation. »

This equipment for the practice of nautical activities is attributed to 19 Sports Training Centers, attended by more than 20,000 students of basic and secondary education, and located in 17 municipalities, from north to south of the country. These municipalities include Mafra, Nazaré and Peniche, where the pilot program of the Oceano Azul Foundation and Oceanário de Lisboa, “Educating for a Blue Generation” is being implemented for primary school students.