Stories of the Sea (SoS) is an EU-funded Erasmus+ project working to strengthen sustainability and resilience in coastal communities. Through an innovative training programme, SoS explores the skills and mindsets people need to thrive amid climate change, social transitions, and economic shifts.
Bringing together partners from across Europe, SoS uses place-based education, storytelling, and civic engagement to reconnect communities with the sea. The goal: to empower people as agents of change and support coastal regions in shaping a more inclusive, sustainable future.
Goal:
Coastal areas face complex, overlapping pressures—from rising seas and biodiversity loss to shrinking cultural traditions and local economies. SoS responds with a community-led approach that blends sustainability education and storytelling, helping people take ownership of local solutions. It aligns with key EU priorities such as the Green Deal, the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, bridging policy with lived experience.
Description:
At the heart of SoS is a co-designed methodology that integrates social, economic, environmental, and cultural perspectives. The project will equip VET and community trainers with tools to support local development and expand their impact across Europe’s coastal regions. SoS helps reinforce community ties to the sea—as a source of identity, livelihood, and resilience.
Activities
To build meaningful impact, SoS combines targeted research, hands-on learning, and resource development across five key areas:
Competence Mapping
We start by identifying the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for sustainable development in coastal regions. This foundation informs every step of the project.
The SoS Methodology
Co-designed with experts and stakeholders, our holistic educational model blends social, economic, environmental, and cultural dimensions. It will be tested with vocational learners and adapted for diverse communities.
Training & Storytelling Tools
Through workshops, community events, and pilot activities, we develop accessible training resources—including a handbook, inclusive storytelling guidelines, and a multimedia story library featuring voices from the coast.
Scaling Impact
With a multiplier approach, we aim to equip trainers and facilitators across Europe, ensuring our tools and methods are widely transferable and locally adaptable.
Dissemination & Transfer
Insights and outputs will be shared through a final EU-wide conference, digital materials, and direct engagement with education, community, and policy networks.
Results
coming soon
- SoS Methodology Handbook
- Trainer Toolkit
- Story Library (audio, video, and written formats)
- Guidelines for inclusive storytelling practice
EU Erasmus+ Acknowledgment
The European Union funds this project. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Duration of the project:
31-12-2024 to 30-06-2027
Client / funding body:
Project funded by The European Union.
Project partners:
A collaboration of committed organisations from across Europe:
Aalborg Universitet (Denmark)
Lead partner
Læsø Turist – og Erhvervsforening (Denmark)
Sineglossa (Italy)
Bulgarska Fondatsiya Bioraznoobrazie (Bulgaria)
Stimmuli for Social Change (Greece)
EUCC – Die Küsten Union Deutschland e.V. (Germany)
