The “Giants of the Lagoon” didactic programme continues in Venice, now in its fourth edition. The project involves students aged 10 to 12 from Venice and Mestre and includes a series of activities designed to introduce them to the lagoon ecosystem and its inhabitants.

Photo credit: Giants of the Lagoon, Eleonora Sovrani, 2026

This year, the program involved 15 classes, including many students from Mestre with different cultural backgrounds, for whom the field excursion was their first opportunity to visit the lagoon, and for some, to see Venice itself.

The educational program includes a teacher training session, two classroom lessons with tailored materials to introduce the lagoon ecosystem in preparation for the field excursion.

Photo credit: Giants of the Lagoon, Eleonora Sovrani, 2026

This year, field excursions took place at the end of March and the beginning of April. During the excursion, students were divided into small groups, each one accompanied by a nature guide to explore different lagoon environments: the salt marsh, the field, and the beach. After their observations, the groups prepared creative presentations, including the use of interviews, songs, riddles, to share the experience with their classmates.

Photo credit: Giants of the Lagoon - the “Barena Game”, Eleonora Sovrani, 2026

In the afternoon, students played a pilot version of the “Barena Game”, designed by Claudio Beorchia, WaterLANDS artist-in-residence. Last year, students helped co-design the game by naming its various elements during its preliminary phase. This year the testing of the game was focused on the teams’ dynamics.

The excursions concluded with a birdwatching session from a boat in the Northern lagoon, guided by an ornithologist. On average, 25 different species were observed during each experience.

Photo credit: Giants of the Lagoon, Eleonora Sovrani, 2026

At present, excursions with all 15 classes have been completed. A final event will take place on the 29th of May, when the participants will have the opportunity to share what they have learned, put their knowledge into practice through specially designed games, and find answers to any further questions that have emerged after their field observations. Students’ families, Venetian residents, and visitors will be invited to join the final event and participate in the updated version of the “Barena Game”.

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