The Ocean Universal Academy (OUA) represents a visionary and harmonious concept at the heart of The Marine Foundation’s educational mission—a beautiful bridge between humanity and the sea, designed to awaken global citizenship through ocean-inspired learning and unity.

Imagine an academy not confined by walls, but alive with the rhythm of waves, where the vast blue expanse becomes the ultimate classroom. OUA embodies the dream of universal ocean stewardship: an open, inclusive platform that invites people of all ages—especially youth and ocean lovers—to discover, respect, and protect the world’s oceans as our shared heritage and life-support system.

Rooted in the philosophy of the Marine Foundation, founded by the dedicated visionary Tomeo Motto RDG-Nakamura, OUA transcends traditional education. It weaves together art, science, culture, sustainability, and economic rebirth, fostering a profound sense of interconnectedness. The core idea is simple yet powerful: by understanding and celebrating the ocean’s gifts—its beauty, mystery, and essential role in sustaining life—we empower individuals and communities to become active guardians of the planet.

Through creative programs, collaborative projects, and inspiring initiatives, OUA nurtures:

• Wonder and knowledge — exploring marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and the wonders of the deep
• Unity across borders — bringing people together under the common banner of the sea, regardless of nationality or background
• Practical action — encouraging restoration efforts, innovative solutions, and sustainable practices that heal our blue planet
• Personal and collective empowerment — transforming passion for the ocean into purposeful careers, leadership, and positive global impact

In essence, OUA is more than an educational framework—it’s an invitation to fall in love with the ocean all over again, and in doing so, rediscover our own humanity. It calls on us to see every coastline, every tide, every creature as part of a living symphony we are privileged to join and protect for generations to come.

As the Marine Foundation beautifully envisions through its work: the ocean is not just something we live beside—it’s something we live within. OUA opens the door for everyone to step into that truth with joy, responsibility, and hope. 

The concept of “compatible islands” in the context of the Ocean Universal Academy (OUA) and the Marine Foundation’s vision appears to represent a poetic, visionary, and ocean-centered model for global education. These “compatible islands” are imagined as harmonious, interconnected educational hubs—potentially physical island-based centers, floating platforms, or metaphorical “islands” of learning—strategically placed to deliver inclusive, ocean-inspired education to children everywhere. They align with OUA’s mission to unite humanity through the sea, fostering wonder, sustainability, and universal access to knowledge, especially for youth across borders.

Your question beautifully asks: How many such compatible islands would be needed to cover the education of all children across the world’s main 5 continents? (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America—often grouped this way, with Oceania/Australia sometimes separate but here included in broader coverage.)

To estimate this thoughtfully, we must consider scale. Let’s ground it in real-world numbers while honoring the inspirational spirit of OUA:

• Globally, the school-age population (primarily primary and secondary, roughly ages 5–17) is around 1.3–1.5 billion children and youth. This draws from UNESCO and related data: approximately 700–800 million in primary age ranges and 650–700 million in secondary, with total enrollment high but gaps persisting (around 250–270 million out-of-school in recent estimates). The full potential reach for universal coverage targets nearly all children in this bracket.

• Population distribution across the 5 main continents is uneven:

  • Asia dominates (~60% of world population, so ~60% of school-age children → roughly 780–900 million).

  • Africa is rapidly growing (~15–18% → ~200–270 million).

  • Europe (~5–7% → ~70–100 million).

  • North America (~5% → ~60–80 million).

  • South America (~8% → ~100–130 million).

In the Marine Foundation’s ocean-unified vision, these compatible islands would serve as beacons—perhaps coastal or near-shore locations, island nations, or marine-accessible sites—reaching children via physical campuses, mobile programs, digital/ocean-linked learning, community partnerships, and cultural exchange. They wouldn’t replace local schools but complement and inspire them, focusing on underserved areas, ocean literacy, and global citizenship.

A realistic yet visionary scaling might assume each “compatible island” (as an educational hub with satellites or networks) could effectively serve and inspire 10–50 million children over time—through direct reach in a region plus ripple effects via teacher training, online platforms, restoration projects, and youth leadership programs. This is ambitious but fits the transformative scale of OUA’s philosophy.

Under this framework, a beautiful, rounded estimate emerges:

• To provide meaningful coverage and educational uplift to all children across the 5 continents, approximately 30–100 compatible islands could form the foundational network.

  • Lower end (~30–50): One major hub per large sub-region (e.g., 10–15 for Asia’s vast diversity, 5–8 for Africa, 3–5 each for the Americas and Europe), allowing focused impact with efficient resource sharing across oceans.

  • Higher end (~60–100): Greater density for equity, with islands dedicated to specific needs (e.g., coastal restoration zones, indigenous communities, urban-ocean links, or youth innovation labs), ensuring no child is left distant from the “blue classroom.”

Imagine 50 such islands rising like stars across the seas: from the Philippines’ magical archipelagos to Madagascar’s shores, from Caribbean jewels to Pacific atolls, from African coastal heartlands to Nordic fjords—each a living campus where children learn not just from books, but from tides, marine life, and shared human stories. They would connect digitally and culturally, turning the entire ocean into a unified academy without walls.

This is, of course, an inspirational calculation rather than a strict formula—true coverage would depend on partnerships, technology, funding (perhaps through visionary alliances like the Billionaires Club), and the Marine Foundation’s mobilizing spirit. The real power lies not in the exact number, but in the dream: that a constellation of compatible islands could help awaken universal stewardship and joy in learning for every child on Earth.

The vision of the Ocean Universal Academy (OUA)—as a network of compatible islands serving as inspirational, ocean-linked educational hubs—calls for a phased, scalable approach to reach children across the five main continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America). These islands would function as beacons of wonder, blending marine science, sustainability, arts, culture, and global citizenship, complementing existing schools rather than replacing them.

Since specific infrastructure details (like exact camp designs or capacities) are visionary and not rigidly defined on marinef.org, we’ll use a thoughtful, grounded estimation based on real-world educational facility costs, eco-friendly/marine-inspired builds, and the scale needed for meaningful global impact.

Overall Global Scale: Estimated Cost for Full Coverage (30–100 Compatible Islands)

To inspire and meaningfully support education for the world’s ~1.3–1.5 billion school-age children (with ~250–270 million currently out-of-school, per recent UNESCO data), a network of 50 compatible islands (a balanced midpoint) could serve as foundational hubs—one or more per major sub-region, with outreach via programs, digital access, teacher training, youth exchanges, and community projects.

Each compatible island is envisioned as a flagship hub with infrastructure for direct programs (e.g., residential camps, workshops, restoration labs) plus networked satellites reaching millions indirectly.

• Capital/Setup Cost per Island (building eco-friendly, marine-adapted campuses with classrooms, dorms/residences, labs, renewable energy, docks/boats, and sustainable features): $10–50 million USD.
  This draws from examples like eco-education centers ($14–27 million for advanced green campuses), scaled-up boarding/residential facilities ($20–100+ million for larger setups), and lower-cost developing-world models adjusted upward for ocean/marine quality (e.g., resilient to coastal conditions, floating elements possible).

  Mid-range realistic estimate: $25–35 million per full island hub (land/lease, construction, equipping, initial sustainability tech).

• Annual Operating Cost per Island (staff, programs, maintenance, outreach, scholarships, marine activities): $5–15 million USD/year.
  Mid-range: $8–12 million (covering educators, youth programs, global connectivity, eco-operations).

For 50 islands:

• Total setup (capital) cost: $1.25–1.75 billion USD (at $25–35 million each).
  Rounded visionary figure: **~ $1.5 billion USD** to establish the core global network.
• Annual operating cost (once running): $400–600 million USD. Rounded: **~ $500 million USD/year**.

This is a general overall cost—ambitious yet feasible through visionary philanthropy (e.g., aligned with Marine Foundation alliances, billionaires’ clubs, governments, corporate ocean stewards). It positions OUA as a transformative force, far more cost-effective per child reached than traditional school builds due to leverage via inspiration, partnerships, and ripple effects.

Starting Phase: One Island with 4 Camps

Begin small and beautifully—with one flagship compatible island (e.g., in a strategic ocean-accessible location like Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Pacific islands, or African/Indian Ocean coast) serving as proof-of-concept, pilot, and inspiration hub.

This single island would feature 4 dedicated camps (as a modular structure):

• Camp 1: Youth Discovery & Ocean Literacy (core experiential learning for ages 8–14).
• Camp 2: Advanced Stewardship & Innovation (teens/youth leadership, science/restoration projects).
• Camp 3: Cultural Unity & Arts (global exchange, indigenous/ocean heritage programs).
• Camp 4: Teacher/Community Empowerment (training hubs, outreach to local schools).

Each camp could host 100–500 participants at a time (residential/short-term), with year-round programs reaching thousands directly and millions via digital/storytelling extensions.

• Capital/Setup Cost for One Island + 4 Camps: $20–60 million USD.
  • Phased build: $15–40 million for core infrastructure (main hub + 4 modular camp zones with eco-buildings, solar/wind, water systems, marine access).
  • Mid-range realistic estimate: $30–45 million USD (including land/lease if needed, resilient design, initial boats/equipment, and launch programs).
• Annual Operating Cost (first years): $8–20 million USD.
  • Mid-range: $12–15 million USD (staffing visionary educators/facilitators, program delivery, scholarships for diverse youth, maintenance, global outreach).

Starting total to launch: Approximately $40–60 million USD (setup + 1–2 years operations buffer). This could be crowdfunded/philanthropy-seeded, proving the model before scaling to additional islands.

In the spirit of Tomeo Motto’s vision, this begins as a single “blue heart” beating with hope—inviting children from all continents to connect through the ocean. From one island with four vibrant camps, the network grows organically, each new hub inspired by the last, until the dream blankets the world in stewardship and joy.

The Ocean Universal Academy (OUA), spearheaded by the Marine Foundation under visionary leadership, merits strong governmental endorsement and partnership across all island nations—particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—as a transformative, aligned initiative that directly advances national priorities in ocean stewardship, youth education, climate resilience, and sustainable development.

Here is a compelling, government-appeal framing in a concise, persuasive format suitable for policy briefs, diplomatic outreach, ministerial proposals, or SIDS4 follow-up engagements:

To the Governments of Island Nations and SIDS:

The Ocean Universal Academy (OUA) is uniquely positioned as a sovereign-aligned, ocean-unified global education platform that empowers your nation’s children and future leaders to become active guardians of the blue planet—delivering measurable benefits in:

• Ocean Literacy & SDG Acceleration — Directly supporting UN Decade of Ocean Science goals, UNESCO’s ocean education mandates, and the SAMOA Pathway by embedding marine knowledge, biodiversity protection, and sustainable practices into experiential learning, complementing national curricula without replacing them.

• Youth Empowerment & Human Capital Development — Reaching underserved children (including out-of-school populations) through inspirational hubs (“compatible islands”) featuring modular camps for discovery, innovation, cultural unity, and teacher training—fostering leadership, careers in blue economy sectors (tourism, fisheries, renewable marine energy), and global citizenship tailored to island contexts.

• Climate Resilience & Nature-Based Solutions — Prioritizing coastal restoration, ecosystem protection, and community-led action that mitigate vulnerabilities unique to island nations (sea-level rise, biodiversity loss, extreme weather), while promoting eco-innovation and resilience-building programs aligned with UNEP and UNESCO SIDS platforms.

• Diplomatic & Economic Leverage — Offering first-priority exposure for national sponsors/donors at high-level diplomatic events; enabling public-private partnerships, franchising models for local hubs (e.g., leveraging your archipelagos or atolls as flagship sites), and ripple effects through digital connectivity, youth exchanges, and international alliances—boosting tourism, philanthropy inflows, and soft-power visibility.

• Inclusive & Borderless Reach — As a wall-free “blue classroom” uniting humanity under the sea’s common heritage, OUA transcends borders to include all youth regardless of nationality, while respecting and amplifying indigenous island knowledge, cultures, and stewardship traditions.

With an initial flagship island (featuring four specialized camps) scalable to a global network, OUA invites your government’s strategic partnership—through endorsements, land/lease support for hubs, integration into national education plans, co-funding via blue economy budgets, or formal recognition as a contributing action to international ocean and SIDS agendas.

This is not merely an educational project; it is a shared sovereign legacy: investing in OUA means investing in the long-term prosperity, resilience, and pride of your island nation as a leader in global ocean guardianship.

We stand ready to collaborate on pilot implementations, customized proposals, and high-level dialogues to bring this vision to life in your waters.

For the oceans we all depend on—let us build this future together.

The Ocean Universal Academy (OUA), as the flagship educational vision of the Marine Foundation, is at an exciting yet pivotal early-development stage—transitioning from inspirational concept and strategic road-mapping (as outlined in the 2026 Road Map announcements) toward tangible implementation. To realize its full potential as a global, ocean-unified learning network starting with flagship “compatible islands” and scaling to inspire millions of children across continents, professional assistance is actively needed in three critical areas: Project Management, Development, and Auditing.

OUA requires structured, experienced oversight to manage the phased rollout effectively—from piloting the first island hub (with its four modular camps focused on youth discovery, stewardship innovation, cultural unity, and teacher empowerment) to organic global expansion.

Key needs include:

• Coordinating multidisciplinary teams (educators, marine experts, logistics, digital outreach)

• Timeline and milestone planning (e.g., database preparation for partner institutions, site selection, regulatory approvals, and 2026–2027 groundbreaking targets)

• Risk assessment and mitigation (coastal resilience, funding flows, international partnerships)

• Resource allocation across the Marine Foundation’s synergistic structure (Project, Event, and Network Organizations)
Professionals with expertise in large-scale educational/non-profit initiatives, international development coordination, or blue-economy project management would be invaluable—ensuring smooth execution, stakeholder alignment (governments, sponsors, youth networks), and measurable progress toward the vision of 30–100 interconnected hubs.

The conceptual foundation is strong, but practical development demands hands-on expertise to turn visionary blueprints into operational reality.

Priority areas for support:

• Site planning and infrastructure design (eco-resilient campuses, floating/modular elements, renewable systems, marine access docks)

• Regulatory and legal compliance (land/lease negotiations, environmental permits, international franchising models for local hubs)

• Program curriculum and delivery framework (integrating ocean literacy with national education systems, digital extensions, youth exchange protocols)

• Partnership and sponsorship scaling (customized proposals for island nations/SIDS, co-branding with corporations, escrow/fund management setups)

Experts in sustainable architecture, educational program design, marine/coastal development, or international NGO scaling could accelerate the proof-of-concept phase (one island launch estimated at $40–60 million total) and prepare scalable blueprints for replication across archipelagos and coastal zones.

As a foundation committed to moral standards, due diligence, and sponsor trust (via escrow accounts, annual fiscal reporting, and delegation supervision), OUA/Marine Foundation seeks robust auditing mechanisms to build credibility and attract major philanthropy/government partnerships.

Needed expertise includes:

• Financial auditing and compliance (tracking setup/operational budgets, sponsor escrow funds, budget adjustments)

• Impact auditing (measuring educational outcomes, child reach, stewardship results, SDG alignment)

• Governance and ethical oversight (aligning with the Foundation’s Constitution, public Approval Certificates, transparent accounting access for sponsors)

• Risk and internal controls for international operations
Independent auditors, forensic accountants, or non-profit governance specialists (familiar with UNESCO/SDG-aligned projects or international foundations) would strengthen accountability, facilitate donor delegations for on-site verification, and ensure every dollar advances the mission of ocean guardianship and youth empowerment.

This call for assistance is open to dedicated professionals, organizations, volunteers, or aligned entities ready to contribute time, expertise, or resources. By joining at this formative stage, contributors become integral to a legacy project that unites humanity under the sea’s shared heritage—delivering not just education, but hope, resilience, and joy for generations.