The Costa Crociere Foundation has launched the Guardians of the Coast program, which aims to create a “long-term environmental snapshot of Italy’s coastline,” and involves teachers and students from over 200 Italian high schools.

The program is supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR), which signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Costa Crociere Foundation and the School of Robotics in Genoa as part of the National Plan to modernize the school system.

High schools that take part in the project will “adopt” a stretch of Italian coastline where they will record observations and take measurements.

Teachers and students will have access to a dedicated online platform offering teaching materials such as webcasts and video tutorials specifically designed for the project in collaboration with OLPA- Osservatorio Ligure Pesca e Ambiente and the School of Robotics Association in Genoa, with the support of a scientific committee.

The online and classroom training course will be complemented by field activities, a statement said.

Teachers who participate in the initial workshop and make use of the online teaching units will receive a certificate from the School of Robotics training institute accredited by the MIUR and this will count towards hours of professional retraining. Students who participate in Guardians of the Coast can count it as an alternating school-work project.