Unveiled at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, the “SEA BEYOND – Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Connecting People and Ocean” represents more than philanthropy. In fact, it signals a deeper cultural evolution where fashion steps into its role as a driver of environmental stewardship.

As Lorenzo Bertelli, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Prada Group, noted, “Every child empowered through ocean literacy brings us one step closer to a more sustainable and conscious future.” The initiative aims to build a network of partners who share this long-term vision and are ready to turn awareness into action.

Lorenzo Bertelli & Audrey Azoula, courtesy of Prada Group

Following the success of SEA BEYOND, an educational initiative introduced by Prada Group and UNESCO in 2019, the fund marks the next phase of the partnership, launched with a €2 million investment from the Italian fashion house. Over the next five years, it will support youth-driven projects and scalable efforts that blend science, culture, and education to safeguard the ocean.

Additionally, it will support initiatives across five key pillars: integrating ocean literacy into school curricula (Blue Education); empowering youth voices in policy and science; preserving oceanic culture and heritage; strengthening the science-policy-society interface; and reshaping public narratives through strategic communication.

Courtesy of Prada Group

More than 35,000 students have been introduced to ocean literacy principles, while the program has extended to include immersive projects such as the “Kindergarten of the Lagoon” in Venice. Prada Group has also trained over 14,000 employees in sustainability using virtual reality tools and the UN-backed AWorld app.

All projects will be vetted by a scientific committee and selected through global calls for proposals, with the first scheduled for December 2025.

Courtesy of Prada Group