Music is increasingly recognized as a powerful medium for environmental education, capable of evoking empathy, simplifying complex issues, and fostering emotional engagement across age groups (Leavy, 2020; Morton, 2021). In marine contexts, particularly in the Mediterranean, music helps bridge cognitive and emotional learning, strengthening personal and cultural ties to the sea (Boyce-Tillman, 2009; Burnard, 2012). Arts-based approaches in education offer experiential and imaginative pathways to ecological awareness, particularly when conventional methods fall short in reaching young learners (Eisner, 2002; Barone & Eisner, 2012). Music also supports sustainability education by inviting inclusive, sensory, and creative participation (Kanellopoulos, 2007; Buchan et al., 2024).

This study explores how music education can cultivate environmental empathy and marine awareness in early childhood and primary education. Co-designed by a music educator and an early years specialist, the intervention consisted of workshops structured around the framework Inspire, Explore, Create, Celebrate. Interactive music-making—such as improvisation, soundscape creation, and singing—was paired with broader participatory activities, including storytelling, movement, and ecological discussion. The former focused on musical expression, while the latter included interdisciplinary, multisensory experiences tied to marine themes.

A qualitative, arts-based methodology was employed, grounded in constructivist and constructionist paradigms. Conducted across five public schools in Cyprus (three preschools, two elementary), the study involved over 200 children and 10 teachers. Data were gathered through semi-structured questionnaires, private interviews with educators, informal discussions during sessions, and the analysis of children’s creative artifacts (e.g., drawings, sound recordings, lyrics).

Thematic and narrative analysis revealed that participants developed deeper emotional connections to the sea, increased confidence in integrating arts-based sustainability education, and greater engagement with marine identity. These findings highlight music’s unique role in shaping inclusive, affective, and imaginative responses to environmental responsibility from an early age.

• Φυσικά περιβάλλοντα και ευαισθητοποίηση μέσω της μουσικής

Christina Charalambidou is a distinguished music educator with significant contributions to music education both in Cyprus and internationally. In 2024, she completed her PhD in Music Education at the European University Cyprus, focusing her research on Teaching Strategies for Music through Collaborative Informal Learning Practices. Her academic foundation lies in New York City, where she earned her Master’s in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 2008, and her Bachelor’s in Music from the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, CUNY, in 2005.

Christina also holds numerous certifications in music teaching, including the IB Certificate in Music and the MIMA Certificate in Music Teaching, which demonstrate her extensive and ongoing education in the field. She has developed a robust research profile with interests in teacher education in music, early childhood music education, and creative practices in music teaching. Her significant articles and presentations at international conferences promote innovative approaches to using music to enhance learning and creativity in children.

Christina has worked as a music educator in various institutions in New York and Cyprus, where she developed curricula and supervised student-teachers during their final teaching practicums, significantly contributing to their professional development. Her professional experience includes teaching at institutions such as the European University Cyprus, the University of Cyprus, and the University of Nicosia, where she led courses on music in early childhood and primary education and the development of creativity through music.

In addition to her academic career, Christina is the founder and director of the "Baby Maestro Cyprus" program, an innovative music program for infants and young children, which has been highly successful in Cyprus since 2011.

Christina has also collaborated with various organizations and NGOs, promoting intercultural exchange and environmental awareness through music and creative arts. She has contributed to numerous projects aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues in the Mediterranean through the arts while fostering collaboration between musicians and educators from diverse cultural communities.

Finally, Christina is the author of educational music books for children, which have been published and widely used by schools and families. Her creative approaches to music teaching have received international recognition, establishing her as a leading figure in the field of music education.

Rebecca Katsaris graduated from the Department of Education Sciences at the University of Cyprus (Pre-primary Education, minor in Psychology) and holds a Master of Research in Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Cultural Studies from Birkbeck University of London (UK).  

She has worked as an educator in Cyprus, Spain, England, and Colombia, in both public and private schools. She has designed and implemented workshops and educational programs in Cyprus and abroad, focusing on intercultural education, on behalf of organizations such as the Cultural Foundation of the Bank of Cyprus, the ARTos Cultural and Research Foundation, BirdLife Cyprus, the Environmental Research Center Enalia Physis, ClaP3C (Creative Learning and Play Center for Children) (Cyprus), ART4Space (UK), the Ministry of Culture of Colombia (Mincultura), Santiago de Cali University (USC), the Bogotá International Book Festival (FILBo), the 8th Bogotá Literature Festival (Fundación Fahrenheit 451), and public libraries such as El Tunal Gabriel García Márquez and Julio Mario Santo Domingo, among others (Colombia).  

Among the key milestones of her professional career are:  

- 2015: Represented Kingswood Primary School (UK), where she was working at the time, in Kenya as part of the teacher exchange program Connecting Classrooms by the British Council.  

- 2016: Presented aspects of Cypriot culture and organized children's workshops during the 10th World Congress Vuelven Los Comuneros in Bucaramanga, Colombia.  

- 2017-2018: Along with her collaborators, won an award and a scholarship in the competition organized by the Bogotá Secretariat of Culture, General Secretariat of the Ministry of Culture, Development, and Sports, under the general theme: "Citizens in Motion: Art and Culture for Peacebuilding", for the series of experiential workshops "Cocinando Paz" ("Cooking Peace").  

- 2020: Together with storyteller and theater educator Marina Katsari, developed the Philosophy for Children (P4C) educational program for Pre-primary and Primary Education (A’ and B’ Cycle), titled "Little Philosophers", which was approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Youth of Cyprus.  

- 2020-2021: Edited four children's environmental fairy tales—"The Blue Conference", "Only Monk Seals Here", "The Museum of Humans", and "Poseidon's Complaint", on behalf of the *Environmental Research Center, Enalia Physis.

Currently, Revekka designs and facilitates workshops in various private schools in Nicosia, including Morningside Montessori Elementary School, The Hills, The Giving Tree, Little Gems, and Marina’s Playschool*, for children aged 18 months to 12 years.