« The flying carpet » is an educational kit created and produced by « Bokra Sawa », in partnership with Ecomers centre, in Nice and CEAlex and funded by Region PACA. The objective is to raise young people awareness of ecology and history of the the Red Sea opening on the Mediterranean Sea. The educational kit was designed to reach more specially children from 8 years old to 12 years old, but it can reach a much wider audience of young people. It includes 4 workshops. The first and the second present in a fun way the history of Suez Cana opening et the link with other seaways in the world. The others take an environmental view : presentation of the seas biodiversity and awareness of marine waste. Each workshop last between 45 minutes and one and half hour. It is made of a user’s guide which may be modified by the monitors.
The workshops were introduced at the end of June 2014, during a discovery session. Since then, the workshops have been requested in several places in Marseille : Science festivity, workshops in primary and secondary schools in the frame of « Averroès Junior » program, activities in several libraries (Le Merlan, 5 avenues, St André, Le Panier…).
Several weeks after this dynamic start of a new school year, “the flying carpet” travels in january 2015, toward the region of inspiration : Egypt. During several weeks, Catherine Sabry, the project coordinator, is meeting association, social and cultural centres to propose children activities. The association also give two training to French speaking and Arabic speaking teachers, in Alexandria. A lecture on the seas’biodiversity is given on the first of February in the French Institute.
This is only a beginning for the beautiful educational lit, available in French and Arabic. It could be an interesting tool for other school or cultural structures in France and in the Mediterranean.
