Age: 13-14

Country: Poland

School: American Elementary School in Gdynia

Teacher: Anna Pawłowska

Description:

Dead zones in the Baltic Sea are not just an environmental term for us — they are a real and alarming problem that affects the sea we live next to. When we discovered that the Baltic holds the world’s largest human‑induced dead zone, stretching across tens of thousands of square kilometres, we felt both shocked and responsible. What looks beautiful from above — swirling green blooms of algae — often means that deep waters are losing oxygen and life is disappearing. This contrast between beauty and danger made us realise how urgent the situation is.

We understood that this is not simply a school topic. It is something happening right now, in our region, shaping ecosystems, fish populations, and the future of the Baltic Sea. That is why we decided not only to learn about the problem, but to take action. We joined the UNESCO Baltic Sea Project Youth Ambassadors, an international programme that brings together young people from all Baltic countries to protect the sea through cooperation, education, and meaningful initiatives.

As Youth Ambassadors, we work with students, teachers, and scientists to raise awareness about dead zones, eutrophication, and the human activities that accelerate them. We participate in workshops, conferences, online meetings, and environmental events. We organise cleanups, prepare educational materials, and speak to other young people about why the Baltic Sea is slowly losing its breath — and what we can do to help it recover.

For us, this project is about responsibility and hope. We believe that young people can inspire real change, and that awareness is the first step toward protecting the sea that connects all our countries.

Age: 14-15

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

Many people think the ocean is a very quiet place. But for animals like dolphins and porpoises, sound is the most important thing. They use sound to „see”, to find food, and to talk to each other. This is called echolocation.

Today, our oceans are becoming very loud. Big ships and sea constructions make a lot of noise. This noise „blinds” the animals. In our presentation, we will talk about how this noise is hurting sea life around the world. We will focus on the Baltic Harbor Porpoise — a small whale in our sea that is almost gone because of us.

We need to understand that when we make too much noise, these animals cannot survive.

Age: 11-12

Country: Poland

School: Sportowa Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 75 z Oddziałami Mistrzostwa Sportowego im. Janusza Kusocińskiego in Gdańsk, Poland

Teacher: Justyna Gejdel

Description:

My name is Basi and I'm Lauren. We're class 5A representatives at a sports-focused primary school in Gdańsk, and we'd like to share our ecological project, which addressed 5 selected problems at our school from the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda:

1. Noise during breaks kept us from relaxing. Now there are no bells, and we're more peaceful.

2. Water resource problems. We learned with educator Tomasz Kijewski how important glaciers are to us and what influences their melting. At school, we use filter bottles and water our flowers with rainwater.

3. The problem of obesity and lack of exercise. We promoted balanced plate sizes and active breaks.

4. The problem of food waste in the school cafeteria.

We conducted interviews and surveys with students and teachers and observed lunch breaks in the cafeteria. Result: 500 students waste 1 ton of food per month. We created an empty plate competition. We talked with younger students about a varied diet. We planted our own garden.

5. The problem with poor waste sorting. We prepared a talk for younger classes and board games made of eco-friendly materials about proper sorting and environmentally friendly habits. We tested two games. We also investigated how to extend the shelf life of food – for example, using an inhibitor like ascorbic acid.

We also created toys from plastic bottles.

Next school year, we want to continue our activities and address the excessive accumulation of unnecessary items.

We love our planet and want to care for it consciously for ourselves and future generations.

Age: 14-15

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

Narwhals are interesting marine mammals that live in cold northern regions. They are

distinguished by their unusual appearance and their adaptation to harsh living conditions.

They are an important part of the Arctic ecosystem. Currently, their natural environment is

changing, which may affect their future. In this presentation, we will present their life and most important features.

Age: 13-14

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

Our project is about Great Pacific Garbage Patch, one of the largest accumulation of floating plastic on the ocean. It`s located between California and Hawaii.

It is a great threat to marine animals, but also to us, humans. ,,Island" is consists primarily of fishing nets, plastic debris, and microplastics, which are created when plastic breaks down into smaller pieces. Various organizations are working to remove plastic from water because the stain is very dangerous. We have to remember that the three major world economies are adjacent to the Pacific: China, Japan and the USA. They cause heavy traffic merchant ships and fishing vessels, which means constant pollution and difficulties in cleaning it. No completely effective machines have been created yet that would clean the oceans and seas 100%. This is happening, because the USA is slowly withdrawing from leading the world.

The aim of our project is to making other country aware to take care of the cleanliness of water not only in rivers and lakes, because that is where we get our drinking water, but also in seas and oceans.

Age: 14-15

Country: Poland

School: Szkoła Podstawowa im. Jana Pawła II in Przyjaźń

Teacher: Katarzyna Artwik,

Katarzyna Czajkowska.

Description:

A presentation on the pollution of the Baltic Sea by shipwrecks from World War II will divide by certain part about historical aspect, threats to mankind etc. We will be talking about baltwreck initiative and nature defending itself.

Age: 14-15

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

Do you know which animal was chosen to be the animal of the year?

It's small, inconspicuous and inteligent.

Do you have any idea what could it be?

It's obviously European Hamster!

It was chosen to be the animal of the year because its population is decreasing.

We would like to share with you some information about this amazing animal.

We are going to tell you for example where it lives, what it eats and the most important charitable and protective activities.

Discover european hamsetr's secrets with us!

Age: 13-14

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

Did you know that a teabag can release about a billion particles of microplastics? Today's presentation: "The hidden danger of microplastics" focuses on microplastics and their impact on our reality. We will introduce the definition of microplastics, explain how they are created, who is affected by them and what effects they have on the surrounding environment and different organisms. You will get to know why it is so important to reduce microplastics and what we can do to help.

Age: 17

Country: Poland

School: Liceum Ogólnokształcące im.Marii Skłodowskiej - Curie in Strzelin

Teacher: Marta Górska

Description:

When Water Takes Control: Are Our Cities Ready?

In September 2024, floods across Poland forced thousands of people to face a difficult reality: climate change is no longer a warning from the future-it is happening now. Streets disappeared under water. Homes, infrastructure, and entire communities were placed under pressure.

This raised a question we could no longer ignore: if extreme weather becomes our new reality… are our cities truly prepared?

Through our project, we recreated two possible futures.

The first shows a highly urbanized city, dominated by concrete, asphalt, and impermeable surfaces, where water rapidly becomes a threat.

The second presents a climate-adapted city, designed to work with nature through green infrastructure, retention systems, and sustainable urban planning.

By simulating identical rainfall conditions, we explored how one decision--how we build—can completely change the path of water.

Our project shows that floods are not shaped by rain alone.

They are shaped by the cities we choose to create.

Age: 13-14

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

We will tell you about:

-Why doesn't a ship sink?​

-Why does a stone sink?​

-Water density​

-Archimedes' Principle​

-Types of ocean debris​

-Ocean threats

Age: 13-14

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

Did you know that a walk on the beach could result in contact with chemical weapons from World War II? Metal barrels, lying on the seabed for decades, are now losing their integrity. In this presentation, we'll uncover the dark secrets of the Baltic Sea and explain how this rusty arsenal impacts modern security. You'll learn about the similarities between imperite and amber, the health effects of contaminated fish on your plate, and what we can do to stop this ecological disaster. We invite you to a presentation that will change the way we look at our seas.

Age: 16

Country: Romania

School: Colegiul Național ,,Alexandru Ioan Cuza” in Galati

Teacher: Lulia Frentescu

Description:

This poster highlights the strong connection between the ocean, climate, and our future. The question “Where is the world heading?” encourages reflection on environmental changes. A visual sequence—“Ocean → Climate → Our future”—shows how marine health affects life on Earth.

The central image contrasts polluted waters with a healthy ocean, emphasizing the impact of human actions. The message “The ocean is speaking. Are we listening?” calls for awareness and responsibility.

Overall, the poster warns about pollution and climate change, while also offering hope: even small actions can help protect the ocean and shape a better future.

Age: 14-15

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

In this presentation, we'll tell you all about shrimp. In addition to basic information about them, we'll also present the most interesting species and interesting facts. These animals are a vital link in the ecosystem, and we believe they're worth exploring.

Age: 10-12; 13-15

Country: Poland

School: Niepubliczna Szkoła Podstawowa z oddziałami dwujęzycznymi H2H in Warszawa

Teacher: Karolina Sternik-Karolak

Description:

The "H2H – Human to Habitat" project was an initiative combining ecological, educational, and technological activities aimed at revitalizing the Raszynka stream. The main goals of the project were to improve water quality, reduce plastic pollution, and restore local biodiversity through the use of Nature-Based Solutions and modern STEM technologies.

As part of the project, water quality monitoring and field activities supporting the river's natural self-purification processes were carried out. Filtering organisms and aquatic plants, such as duck mussels, rigid hornwort, and Canadian waterweed, were introduced to help reduce nitrate and phosphate concentrations in the water.

An important element of the project was the construction of a prototype autonomous Eco-Bot designed to collect waste from the water surface. The robot enabled the interception of plastic waste before it degraded into microplastics, thereby limiting the spread of pollution to larger watercourses and the Baltic Sea.

The project also included educational activities for children and young people. Workshop participants gained knowledge in ecology, environmental protection, programming, and robotics, while also taking part in field research and citizen science activities.

H2H demonstrated that combining technology, education, and natural filtration methods can effectively support the revitalization of small watercourses and increase environmental awareness within local communities. During the conference, we would like to present the prototype of our floating waste-collecting robot, share the results of the conducted research, and showcase a photo report documenting the implementation of the project.

Age: 7-17

Country: USA

School: Manny The Manateenager

Description:

These pieces were collection from a mixed age group. The youth had discussions out loud around the pieces they were creating. For the most part they spoke optimistically about their future, knowing that people should take care of the planet and take action to preserve natural spaces and protect wildlife. Some of the older participant had other views about what the future holds, and they said they were afraid that we were already too late in correcting climate issues. They discussed the dislike of AI and the dependence society has on technologies that harm the planet. Some of the pictures created included the reduction of water over time and the increase of grocery stores. As well as the loss of species such as turtles and the loss of homes, as one participant wrote about homelessness. Some spoke on clean water access and drew pictures with a planet with no land in the future. Overall, the groups seemed more enthusiastic to talk about a future where we acted rather a future where we have not acted against climate change.

Age: 10-14

Country: Poland

School: Szkoła podstawowa z Oddziałami sportowymi numer 7, Sopot

Description:

In our time kapsule we had tons of artwork about floating the planet by trash, there ware some works inspired by movies or games like 'The last of us' (fungi zombie, deathly viruses etc.). Children often used recycled materials. One student made crotched puppets about impact of pollution on evolution of animals in the sea. Another one made audio with sound effects about scientist in far future who is trying to built artificial ozone layer. Hopefully there ware som positive works, like animation about living in the future in sustainable houses with renewable energy sources, home permaculture and natural materials.

Age: 14-15

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

This presentation is about BPA and phthalates ? chemical substances commonly found in plastics and everyday products. We explain where these compounds are used, how they affect human health, and why they may be

dangerous for people and the environment. We also mention real-life scandals connected with BPA and phthalates and discuss their impact on the Baltic Sea.

Age: 14-15

Country: Poland

School: Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 6 in Gdańsk

Teacher: Anna Prądzińska

Description:

Are sharks really as dangerous as movies show? How have they survived for millions of years and why are they older than dinosours ? In this presentation you will discover amazing secrets about sharks, their survival skills and fascinating, ancient species that lived in the oceans long ago. You will also learn whether sharks live in the Baltic Sea. Get ready for interesting facts, suprising discoveries and a journey into the mysterious underwater world of shark.

Age: 13-15

Country: Poland

School: Amerykańska Szkoła podstawowa z wykładowym językiem angielskim in Gdynia

Teacher: Anna Pawłowska

Description:

The presentation highlights the activities of Youth Ambassadors of the UNESCO Baltic Sea Project and demonstrates how environmental education can evolve into authentic scientific engagement. During 2025, students from AES Gdynia collaborated closely with the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and international partners within the Baltic Sea region.

Through lectures, workshops and laboratory visits, students explored the processes shaping the Baltic Sea and learned how oceanographic measurements support climate research. The central achievement of the project was the joint adoption of an ARGO research float deployed in the Baltic Sea during the AREX2025 scientific mission. Named “Mr AES Krapu” by the students themselves, the float became a symbol of youth participation in global ocean monitoring. By analysing real-time measurements of temperature and salinity, students gained direct insight into climate-related changes occurring in marine ecosystems.

The project demonstrates that Youth Ambassadors of the Baltic Sea Project can move beyond environmental awareness toward meaningful participation in scientific cooperation, data analysis and long-term responsibility for the future of the Baltic Sea.