Getting students engaged and keeping them interested are two of the aims of the hands-on learning experiences at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL). http://www.disl.org/ Programs are offered all year at the DISL that open the world underwater to learners of all ages.
“We feel that the hands-on approach we use effectively engages all students and helps reach all kinds of learners,” said Dr. Tina Miller-Wray, chair of Discovery Hall Programs for Education and Outreach. http://www.disl.org/educational-programs/onsite-programs-k-12/summer-programs/ “Additionally, we think that students, if asked, would say that they are more interested in learning about the ocean than chemistry, physics or biology, but we can teach a lot of chemistry principles, biology or physical science by using the ocean as an example.”
DISL’s school programs are more academic with specific learning objectives. Its summer programs are geared toward environmental and marine science. Miller-Wray noted many young people return every summer for the limited-enrollment camps.
“Our summer programs, including day and overnight camps, fill to capacity each year. Our BayVoyager camp, designed for active high school students, filled to capacity in two weeks this year. We open registration for these camps in January,” Miller-Wray said. “For our school-year programs, our class on salt marsh ecology is booked most frequently. Our research trip to the Mobile Bay estuary aboard the Sea Lab’s floating classroom, the Alabama Discovery, is also very popular.”
Already thinking of field trips for the new school year? Immerse yourself in the descriptions of the 11 programs available. Recommended for all ages is the Just Touch Lab that gives students the opportunity to hold and examine a variety of specimens. The Beach Walk with Maritime Forest includes a lecture, then a two- to three-mile field excursion along the Gulf of Mexico and through a maritime forest.
Besides field trips and camps, The Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Admission is charged.
For more information about all of the programs at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, call Sara Johnson, administrative assistant, Discovery Hall Programs, at 251-861-2141, ext. 7515, or email her at sejohnson@disl.org.
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