Schoolchildren win award for their plastic "Monstres de l’Océan"
CE1 pupils from Saint-Jean XXIII school have won the national "Arts en plastique pour l’Océan" competition.
Creativity at the service of ecological awareness has been rewarded. The CE1 pupils of the Saint-Jean XXIII primary school in Toulon distinguished themselves by winning the prestigious national competition "Arts en plastiques pour l’Océan", in the elementary category "Les Monstres de l’Océan".
Organized for the seventh year by the ministère de l’Éducation nationale and the Fondation de la Mer, this initiative invited young people, from kindergarten to middle school, to transform their perspective on plastic pollution through artistic creation.
The 2026 edition gathered nearly 300 entries and raised awareness among more than 10,000 pupils about the vital stakes of ocean preservation. The principle is to create works of art from plastic waste, an approach that is both fun and educational.
A short film to denounce pollution
In Toulon, the 28 pupils of the CE1 class made a strong impression. Their project consisted of making imaginary marine creatures from recycled plastics, staged in an impactful short film to denounce sea pollution.
“The objective was to blend plastic arts, oral expression and imagination, starting from a concrete issue: ocean pollution and the transformation of waste. The pupils watched a report on the ocean and were made aware of plastic pollution. We started a discussion around the question: what if the ocean were populated by monsters born from our plastic waste? A question that served as a guiding thread for the project and gave rise to original creatures designed by the pupils,” explains Marie-Charlotte Kerignard, teacher at the Saint-Jean XXIII primary school.
The establishment will receive a grant of €1,000 to support their future educational projects related to the marine environment.
An approach praised by the organizers
For the members of the jury, this approach is essential for involving young generations.
“Raising awareness through creation is the best way to make young generations aware of the challenges of plastic pollution, pupils become actors in collection, sorting and are involved through the creation of works with sensitive messages,” stresses Johé Bruneau, artist, member of the jury and co-founder of the Precious Plastic France association.
An opinion shared by the partner institutions, which see this competition as a lever for education on sustainable development.
“By encouraging dialogue between arts and sciences, the competition allows pupils to address the challenges of sustainable development through a sensitive and creative approach,” comments Manuel Brossé, head of the bureau de l’Éducation Artistique et Culturelle at the ministère de l’Éducation nationale.
“With the Arts en plastiques pour l’Océan competition, pupils do not just learn: they become actors of change. By transforming waste into works of art, they carry a message of hope,” concludes Alexandre Iaschine, Director General of the Fondation de la Mer.
Article from the print edition of La Gazette du Var