Prada Takes Responsibility for Education in the Field of Ocean Conservation

In February, the Parisian Maison de l'Océan hosted a workshop for the international press, addressing not just ocean literacy, but a pressing issue relevant to the attendees. The challenge is how to gather information related to ocean conservation issues and how to verify it in today’s world, where journalists are bombarded with a stream of information, including news feeds and press releases. This workshop proved to be extremely useful for everyone involved and became the first event in 2025 of the Sea Beyond, an educational program that Prada Group is conducting in collaboration with UNESCO-IOC (The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO) to spread ocean literacy principles worldwide. By the way, the answer to the “how?” questions posed above is to contact UNESCO-IOC, as they can provide a qualified commentary and connect you with experts from their list.

The Sea Beyond program is centered on education, and its recent projects have included initiatives such as the Kindergarten of the Lagoon. This project collaborated with kindergartens in Venice, a city directly affected by the rising ocean levels. Venice is also home to one of the branches of Fondazione Prada and has strong connections with the Prada-Bertelli family. Lorenzo Bertelli, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, highlighted these connections in a documentary film about the program, which was shown to us in Paris. As part of the program, 5-year-old children are taken outside the center of Venice to the island of Torcello.There, marine biologists conduct a show-and-tell about marine biodiversity, teaching the children from an early age to see and understand the connection between the ocean and the humanity.

The Sea Beyond program is linked with another Prada initiative, Re-Nylon. As part of this project, lost nylon fishing nets, which have become a real problem, are retrieved from the ocean and recycled into Prada nylon. In Paris, they also showcased the first two episodes of the new Prada Re-Nylon Campaign, filmed in Norway and featuring Valentina Gottlieb and Benedict Cumberbatch. And Valentina, an actress, eco-activist, influencer, and windsurfer, shared how she had to slowly enter the 9-degree Celcius water in a swimsuit, take after take.

This was the first, but certainly not the last event within the framework of the joint program Sea Beyond and UNESCO-IOC. On April 3, the inauguration of the Sea Beyond Ocean Literacy Center will take place in Venice. The venue will be the first permanent center dedicated to ocean literacy in Italy, located on the island of San Servolo. It will serve as a cultural and educational hub and will host institutions such as Venice International University, NSAS Neuroscience School of Advanced Studies, and CSC Immersive Arts Labs.

On June 9-13, Nice will host the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (INOC3). Sea Beyond will actively participate in INOC3, offering a series of ocean-related activities. Additionally, on October 10-19, Sea Beyond will take over Prada Rong Zhai, the historic residence located in the heart of Shanghai and restored by thePrada Group, to host a multi-faceted program. So, stay tuned!

Courtesy: Prada Group

Text: Elena Stafyeva