OZEANKIND E.V.
From Classroom to Coast: How Education and CleanUp Actions Turn Kids into Ocean Protectors
Environmental education doesn’t end in the classroom. It comes alive when children apply what they’ve learned – during a cleanup, at the beach, or in the schoolyard. Ozeankind e.V. shows how theory and practice combine to turn kids into real ocean protectors.
How it all began
For Ozeankind e.V. founders Micha and Marina, this journey began in 2017.
Back then, they decided to give their lives a new direction without knowing exactly where it would lead. The trigger? Images of massive plastic waste mountains in the ocean and their own travel experiences. At first, it left them numb, then angry and finally, it moved them to act.
They began picking up litter on beaches, in parks, right outside their own front door.
These first cleanups were more than just tidying up:
They took away the feeling of helplessness, sharpened awareness, and restored the belief that one’s own actions can make a difference.
Micha and Marina knew from the start that cleanups alone wouldn’t solve the global plastic crisis. But they recognized that, for many – as for themselves – it can be an important first step: the moment when environmental awareness awakens. A spark to start questioning daily habits, making step-by-step changes, and exploring environmental and sustainability topics more deeply.
This experience continues to shape their work today: they see that cleanups especially with children can be the catalyst for motivation and personal initiative toward positive, collective change.
© Ozeankind e.V.
© Ozeankind e.V.
© Ozeankind e.V.
© Ozeankind e.V.
“Every piece of plastic carelessly thrown away here in Germany can eventually end up in the sea, carried by rivers, wind, and weather.”
OZEANKIND e.V.
CleanUps – More Than Picking Up Trash
At first glance, a cleanup seems simple: collect trash, take a photo, done.
But to us, it’s much more: a tool for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
During a cleanup, classroom lessons become tangible: children see how long plastic remains in nature, they learn the connection between consumption and environmental damage and they experience firsthand that their actions matter.
Our Cleanup Philosophy: Waste Reduction Starts Everywhere
When people think of ocean protection, they often picture beaches and coastlines. But the truth is: every piece of plastic carelessly thrown away here in Germany can eventually end up in the sea, carried by rivers, wind, and weather.
That’s why our approach is international, but always locally adaptable:
• Cleanups on beaches, riverbanks, lakeshores
• Cleanups in schoolyards and parks
• Cleanups in city centers and neighborhoods
Ocean protection starts right outside your front door.
Education Meets Action
Through our educational program “Plastikrebell” (Plastic Rebel), we bring environmental knowledge into primary schools and we don’t stop at the classroom door.
We combine workshops and lessons with a cleanup event.
The result: children immediately see the impact of what they’ve learned.
• They identify the most common types of waste
• They discuss ways to reduce them
• They develop their own ideas for making school and home life more sustainable
Examples from Our Work
In Germany, we’ve organized cleanups with elementary school classes where children planned collection routes themselves, categorized the trash, and analyzed the data.
The outcome: a self-made poster for the school with the top 5 types of plastic waste and suggestions on how to avoid them.
On Zanzibar, children from our SwopShops regularly take part in cleanups. Here, the link is even more direct: the collected waste is recycled, and children receive school supplies or hygiene products in return – helping them understand that waste can have value.
© Ozeankind e.V.
© Ozeankind e.V.
© Ozeankind e.V.
© Ozeankind e.V.
How to Start Your Own Cleanup
Whether you’re a school, family, or business organizing a cleanup is simple:
1. Choose a location: beach, park, playground, riverbank, or schoolyard.
2. Gather supplies: gloves, garbage bags, and, if needed, litter pickers.
3. Explain safety rules: avoid dangerous items, stay away from roads, work in groups.
4. Collect & document: take photos, note types of waste found.
5. Debrief: What did we find? How can we prevent this waste?
Tip: Make it a recurring event. That’s how one action becomes a movement.
Our Goal: Education + Activism = Sustainable Impact
Cleanups alone won’t save the world.
But they connect knowledge with action – and that’s what makes the difference.
We want children not only to know why ocean protection matters, but also to feel how they can play an active role in it.
Because a child who has collected litter once often grows into an adult who takes responsibility.
Contact & Get Involved
Want to start a cleanup with your school, family, or business?
Get in touch,we’re happy to share our know-how.
More info: www.ozeankind.de
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@ozeankind_ev
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Ozeankind e.V.
© Ozeankind e.V.
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