How it all began...
FREDERICO ALMADA
KIDS DIVE FOUNDER
In 2018, a marine biologist wanted to share his passion for the Ocean with the younger generations -the Kids Dive programme was born!
“Being a marine biologist, my first scuba diving experience can be considered to have been quite late, having taken place only during my bachelor’s degree, at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. Nonetheless, this delayed experience allowed me to still have a vivid memory of what it felt like when I first peeked underwater. Having a compressed air bottle on your back gives you the freedom to be independent from the surface, at least for a while. This enables seeing details that would otherwise be ignored. It is like visiting another planet where we can let ourselves slide in the current, perceive undulating forests and animals with fins or tentacles that seem to observe us as we observe them. Later, the friendship with José Tourais, who taught me to dive, made me understand the other side: by bringing other people to dive I realised that I was not the only one fascinated by all those seascapes. From there to Kids Dive development it took “only” 3 years, after the involvement of several people”, Frederico Almada, Kids Dive Founder.
KIDS DIVE - DISCOVER THE OCEAN
Kids Dive is a dynamic educational experience that aims to deepen the knowledge on the Ocean, while raising awareness on marine ecosystems and its conservation. It is a programme developed and adapted for students from elementary school to high school.
Our mission below the Ocean’s surface is to bring passion for the Ocean to all participants, in order to promote the protection of the marine environment and biodiversity.
Our mission is aligned with our motto: #savetheocean. Our aim is to spark curiosity and promote self-improvement by encouraging each participant to follow his or her own path and to contribute to a more informed, active and participatory society. Kids Dive intends to promote creativity, collaboration and teamwork, as well as the participants’ spirit of initiative by bringing schools closer to local communities and the maritime sector.
It is an educational programme designed for children and young people between the ages of 8 and 17, in which all the activities are interconnected, and built on 4 pillars that have two underlying principles: “learning by doing” and “knowing in order to protect”.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
Designed for children and young people between the ages of 8 and 17, in which all the activities are interconnected and built on 4 pillars that have two underlying principles: ``learning by doing`` and ``knowing in order to protect``.
Science with emotion
we believe that the connection with the Ocean is essential to promote its protection. Therefore, all activities aim to create a sense of belonging towards the Ocean. In this way, we believe we are overcoming one of the barriers to the conservation of the marine environment and catalysing a profound change in society's perception of the Ocean.
Scuba diving
We link scuba diving with our activities. This educational tool allows direct contact with the aquatic environment, arouses emotions and is the ideal interlocutor for transmitting the importance of preserving the Ocean.
Education
The transmission of scientific knowledge is one of the pillars of Ocean literacy and is central in our activities. Because we believe that an informed society generates greater participation, we base our activity on communication with students and teachers in order to contribute to the development of an active and participative blue generation.
Technology
The employment of cutting-edge tools enables the development of new perspectives. Kids Dive seeks to combine the transmission of knowledge with the application of new technologies, such as digital learning with Virtual Kids Dive, in order to provide immersive experiences.KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES WE OFFER!
Kids Dive is a dynamic educational experience that aims to deepen the knowledge on the Ocean, while raising awareness on marine ecosystems and its conservation.
FRAMEWORK FOR EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES AND INTERNATIONAL AGENDA
Kids Dive promotes Ocean literacy and simultaneously awakens its participants for future blue careers in perfect alignment with the Blue School Program and key international recommendations.
The Kids Dive programme is a contribution to the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , an international agenda to ``Transform the world`` by 2030.
DECADE OF OCEAN SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Kids Dive emerges at a special moment: in 2021-2030 the United Nations celebrate the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, under the motto ``the science we need for the Ocean we want`` and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which unites youth and adults around the world under the motto #GenerationRestoration. The Kids Dive programme allows participants to explore these topics and to become aware that they are part of a set of global initiatives, prepares them for a changing world and supports the path needed to achieve the collective goals we have set for ourselves.
NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE SEA
At national level the Kids Dive programme supports the implementation of the National Strategy for the Sea, namely in Strategic Goal 8: increase education, training, culture and Ocean literacy. Throughout the educational activities, participants are stimulated to develop skills such as citizenship, interpersonal relationships and public skeaking. This programme encourages the development of not only academic, but also personal and social skills, in line with the Profile of Students Leaving Compulsory Education, the reference document for the organisation of the education system, in Portugal.
Furthermore, this programme is aligned with the recommendations of the European Commission for the development of key competences for lifelong learning, and of the OECD which stresses the importance of soft skills in a constantly changing labour market (Future of Education and Skills 2030).
