The ProBleu Project – inspiring the Ocean City’s future citizens
18 June 2025
During 2025 The Box has partnered with Hyde Park Infant and Junior School to deliver Future Citizens of Plymouth – The Ocean City, connecting local school children and the wider community with the ocean on their doorstep.
The project, funded by ProBleu, aimed to boost ocean and water literacy beyond the classroom promoting the preservation of marine and freshwater ecosystems, combat pollution, and protect biodiversity through active citizen.
Over the last twelve months pupils took part in workshops at The Box, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) incorporating marine topics, to support and enrich their national curriculum.
Collaboration with the Box has brought a series of engaging workshops, expertly led by highly knowledgeable staff. It was truly delightful to witness our children participating in hands-on activities, fully immersing themselves in the learning experiences. Their enthusiasm was palpable as they asked insightful questions and explored the wonders of marine life.
Julija Lesina, ProBleu project lead and Hyde Park teacher
During visits to The Box, approximately 270 students, explored the Marine Biological Association collections and learnt about Plymouth Sound’s marine species through guided talks and creative activities. Subsequent workshops enabled students to envision marine animals and their habitats through collaborative drawing, paper sculptures and gelli plate printing.
Partnering with Hyde Park for the ProBleu project has been an amazing collaborative experience for The Box. Seeing the students build confidence and creative skills whilst exploring one of our most important collections has been really inspiring.
Adam Murray, Learning Officer, The Box Plymouth
To celebrate the project selected student artworks were displayed at The Box and a celebration day is due to take place at Hyde Park Schools.
The Box would like to thank Hyde Park Infant School and Hyde Park Junior School with specials thanks to Julija Lesina.
Discover more about the ProBleu project.