The project "Playing with Corals: football as a gateway toward climate action and marine awareness" is gaining momentum, utilizing the game of football as a tool for environmental education. Coordinated by the MaRHE Center - Marine Research and High Education Center (based in the Faafu Atoll), under the direction of Professor Paolo Galli, and Inter Campus, the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) project of FC Internazionale Milano.
The aim of the project is to use football as a means of environmental awareness, linking sports activities with marine activities to train a new generation of coral guardians. The research staff of the MaRHE Center, along with Inter Campus technicians, will train 20 local educators over 4 weeks spread over two years, the total duration of the project.
Throughout the year, instructors will conduct weekly sessions on their respective islands, remotely supervised by the organizing team, engaging in both football and marine activities, including coral reef restoration. The direct beneficiaries of the project will be approximately 200 adolescents and preadolescents (aged 10-14), both male and female.
To support the described activities, an impact analysis will be conducted through collaborative work between psychologists from the University of Milano-Bicocca and Inter Campus, to assess the project's effectiveness in meeting its objectives.