Over 100 students and teachers from various schools in Sydney, Australia, were recently introduced to the incredible underwater world surrounding the Maltese archipelago when Tim Gambin, a marine archaeologist at the University of Malta, delivered a lecture about Malta’s underwater cultural heritage at the National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

Speaking on his return to Malta, Dr Gambin expressed his excitement at the warm reception he had received. “It really makes it all worthwhile to see the wonder on children’s faces as they are introduced to this world,” he said.

It is widely acknowledged that the Maltese islands are full of priceless gems that bear testimony to its rich and turbulent history. However, it is not often that children are exposed to the maritime heritage that lies on the seabed surrounding Malta’s shores.

Through a programme supported by the University’s Department of Classics and Archaeology and Bank of Valletta, Dr Gambin has been visiting schoolchildren and enthralling them with stories about Malta’s rich maritime past. The sessions started last October and will continue until May.

An average of 2,000 students in 25 schools have taken part in the project every year for the past three years. Since it was established in 2007 by the Mediterranean Institute of Marine Studies, a local NGO, over 9,000 local schoolchildren have benefitted from this initiative.

For further information e-mail mariabaldacchino@live.com.

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