Nurturing future ocean stewards

Free education programs have been a cornerstone of the Aquarium since we opened. Our commitment today is stronger than ever, as we offer new programs and relaunch others placed on hold during the pandemic. Enabled by your support, we’re welcoming students for free classroom visits, supporting emerging young leaders, and preparing new generations of classroom teachers for success. You’re helping us realize the full potential of the Bechtel Family Center for Ocean Education and Leadership.

Welcome back, students!

We were thrilled to finally welcome back thousands of students on free field trips after a nearly twoyear hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also resumed our in-person Discovery Lab program where students get the chance to become scientists in one of the Aquarium’s Learning Labs.

Connecting to the ocean and to science learning has a dramatic impact that can change a student’s awareness about the kind of future that is possible for them. As students explore the Aquarium and come face-to-face with the amazing animals and ecosystems of Monterey Bay and beyond, they become excited about the natural world, science, and conservation. For many of them, an Aquarium field trip is their first visit to the ocean.

“The whole Aquarium is amazing and magical, so being able to offer ways for young people to experience that is everything.”

— Pamela Wade, Manager of School Programs

All of our Discovery Lab programs are tied to an actual exhibit at the main Aquarium, so nothing we teach is hypothetical.

Our goal in 2023 is to host 60,000 schoolchildren on a free field trip, getting closer to the number who visited before the pandemic. When field trips aren’t possible due to distance or transportation costs, we’ll continue to offer our live instructor-led Online Discovery Labs to reach those students.