National Aquarium education programs provide students from the Baltimore area and beyond with opportunities to encounter, understand and connect with the natural world, building the STEAM-powered skills they need to become future superstars! From pre-K through high school, at every grade level, our education programs inspire respect for the natural world and prepare students to act as informed, empowered stewards of our mission to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures.
Plan a Field Trip
National Aquarium school field trips are your students' passport to a world of aquatic wonder! Spending a day with us provides an up-close look at the animals, habitats and careers that make science exciting, while bringing conservation education and STEAM concepts from your curriculum to life.
Education Programs Bringing STEAM Concepts to Life
The National Aquarium's expert education team brings the wonder of the aquatic world to life with a diverse array of programs for students of all ages, from pre-K through grade 12!
Homeschool Programs
The National Aquarium welcomes homeschool families and groups to visit, explore and get hands-on with our world of aquatic treasures, or make use of our new online programming! Specially themed experiences and thoughtful programs for students of all ages make the Aquarium's homeschool programs the perfect complement to any science curriculum.
To initiate a National Aquarium education program reservation request, please contact our reservation specialists at reserve@aqua.org or 410-576-3833. Due to exceptionally heavy request volume, we suggest that you begin your reservation request via email and allow several days for a response from our team. Hold times may be significant. All requests will be processed in the order they are received, and your patience is appreciated.
Homeschool Days are open to pre-K through high school students and are designed to be family learning days. Each day, the learning stations are open from 10 am to 2 pm.
Program prices, themes and schedule are subject to changes.
Program Fees
Maryland Homeschool Groups: Grades Pre–K to 12:
$15 per student per day
Out-of-State Homeschool Groups: Grades Pre–K to 6:
$32.95 per student per day
Out-of-State Homeschool Groups: Grades 7 to 12:
$38.95 per student per day
Chaperone Fees
Each reservation includes one free adult chaperone admission for each group of up to five students. Additional chaperones are welcome at $27.95 per person (Aquarium admission only).
Inclement Weather Policy
Homeschool programs will be conducted as scheduled unless either the National Aquarium or Baltimore City Public Schools are closed. If for any reason the program is cancelled, the National Aquarium will do its best to reschedule the program for March. In the event the program cannot be rescheduled, all participants will receive a refund.
Schedule
Stingers of the Sea
Dates: September 13–15, 2022
Join the National Aquarium this September for the first installment of our 2022–2023 Homeschool Days. Students and their families will learn about the stingers of the sea through a self-guided tour of the National Aquarium with a learning passport in hand. Participants will have the opportunity to visit hands-on discovery stations that focus on what animals can sting and how they do so.
Teeth Talks
Dates: January 24–26, 2023
Join the National Aquarium for our second installment of our 2022–2023 Homeschool Days, Teeth Talks. Students and their families can learn all about teeth, why they are important and why they are so different in different animals. Through a self-guided tour of the National Aquarium, families will have the opportunity to visit hands-on discovery stations to learn which animals have pointy teeth, which have flat teeth—and whose teeth actually aren't teeth at all!
An Ocean of Issues
Dates: March 7–9, 2023
Join the National Aquarium for the final Homeschool Days session of 2022–2023! This March, students and their families can learn about the ocean of issues that affect our planet and all the animals that inhabit it. Participants will have the opportunity to visit hands-on discovery stations that focus on diverse groups of animals that need our help to survive and thrive!
Monthly programs are held two Thursdays each month from October to February for students in kindergarten through grade 8.
Students must be at least 5 years of age to participate in the K-2 homeschool series class.
The monthly home school program is a drop-off class. Students will be dropped off at one of the Aquarium classrooms for their hour-long session. Homeschool teachers are asked to wait outside of the classroom or explore the Aquarium at their leisure during the class time.
Grades K-2 (Ages 5-7) meet from 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) meet from 1:00 pm-2:00 pm
Grades 6-12 (Ages 11+) meet from 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
Program Fees
Maryland Homeschool Groups: Grades K to 8:
$15 per student per program
$60 per student for the five-program series
Out-of-State Homeschool Groups: Grades K to 5:
$31.95 per student per program
$147.75 per student for the five-program series
Out-of-State Homeschool Groups: Grades 6 to 8:
$38.95 per student per program
$179.75 per student for the five-program series
Chaperone Fees
Each reservation includes one free adult chaperone admission for each group of up to five students. Additional chaperones are welcome at $27.95 per person (Aquarium admission only).
Inclement Weather Policy
Homeschool programs will be conducted as scheduled unless either the National Aquarium or Baltimore City Public Schools are closed. If for any reason the program is cancelled, the National Aquarium will do its best to reschedule the program for March. In the event the program cannot be rescheduled, all participants will receive a refund.
Schedule
Hiding in Plain Sight
Dates: October 6, 20
Join the National Aquarium for the first installment of the 2022-2023 Home School Series "Amazing Adaptations" where students will learn about camouflage. This October, join us as we take a closer look at the animals that hide in plain sight and how that helps them survive.
Glowing, Glowing, Gone!
Dates: November 3, 17
Did you know that some animals can produce light? Or, that other animals can absorb light? This November, join the National Aquarium for the second installment of the 2022-2023 Home School Series "Amazing Adaptations," where we'll learn all about our aquatic friends who glow, why they glow, and how it can help them survive.
To Sleep or Not to Sleep? That is the Question.
Dates: December 1, 15
Join the National Aquarium for the third installment of the 2022-2023 Home School Series "Amazing Adaptations." This December, we are talking about adaptations that help some animals get through the winter: Hibernation and migration. Join us to see which animals like to take a nice long nap and others that make a long journey to withstand the cold.
Catch of the Day
Dates: January 5, 19
Did you know that some animals can use electricity to detect prey? Or that others can stop their prey with venom? This January, join the National Aquarium for the fourth installment of the 2022-2023 Home School Series "Amazing Adaptations" as we learn about the different adaptations animals use to catch their lunch.
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
Dates: February 2, 16
Are you an early bird? How about a night owl? This February, join the National Aquarium for the fifth and final installment of the 2022-2023 Home School Series "Amazing Adaptations" as we will learn all about when animals are active and what other adaptations help them to survive and thrive during the day and night.
Fall Outdoor
Beach Exploration at Sandy Point
Date: September 20, 2022; 10:30 am-1:00 pm
Location: Sandy Point State Park
Ages: All ages; families welcome
Price: $10 per student
Capacity: 100 people
Join us at Sandy Point State Park where we will have some fun stations set up so you can learn all about different fish adaptations, fishing with seine nets, water quality, and more! Bring the family for an experience you don't want to miss. There will be fun educational activities for all ages. State park entry fees of $4 per person will apply.
All participants ages 3 and over must be registered for the program; ages 2 and under can participate with their families but don't need to pay registration fees. One adult per 5 registered students will be admitted for free. Additional adults may participate for the $10 registration fee.
Winter MS/HS Event
Scientific Tools Laboratory
Date: January 23, 2023; 10:30 am-11:30 am
Location: National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center / 901 E. Fayette Street Baltimore, MD 21202
Ages: 13-18; students only
Price: $15 per student
Capacity: 24 students
Join us for our first homeschool event for high school students. Homeschool students ages 13-18 can join us at our Animal Care and Rescue Center where we will learn all about scientific tools and how to use them. In this hands-on program, students will use microscopes, pipettes, water quality instruments and more. Students will need to be dropped off and picked up from the National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center. Parents are not able to stay at the facility during the program.
Spring Outdoor
Tides, Trash and Treasure
Date: April 18, 2023; 10:30 am-12:00 pm
Location: Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Ages: 8 and over, students only
Price: $17 per student
Capacity: 30 students
Join us for a special program for homeschool students at the wetlands at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. We will explore the wetlands which are not accessible to the general public in order to learn all about tides! Questions we'll answer will include: What are tides? How do they change? How do they affect coastal wetlands? This is a drop-off class for students; parents are welcome to remain at Fort McHenry while their student participates in the class.
Professional Development
National Aquarium professional development workshops provide instructors from pre-K through grade 12 with the knowledge, curriculum resources and inspiration needed to bring science to life in your classrooms. Professional development workshops are scheduled at regular intervals throughout the year and are a perfect complement to your science curriculum. Some workshops award MSDE continuing professional development (CPD) credits. These workshops are designed to be affordable; registration is required.
Growing Up WILD is an early childhood education program that builds on children's sense of wonder about nature, inviting them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Upon completion of the workshop, participating educators will receive the Growing Up WILD curriculum book.
Getting Little Feet Wet is an early childhood education program that explores different aspects of water—from water properties to water sounds. Each activity offers both pre-K and K-2 options and is correlated to respective educational standards. Upon completion of the workshop, participants will receive the Getting Little Feet Wet Curriculum Guide.
To register, please contact our reservation specialists at reserve@aqua.org or 410-576-3833.
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022
Time: 9:30 am to 4 pm
Maximum Participants: 20
Cost: $15 per person (includes Aquarium admission and refreshments.)
Registration Deadline: September 23, 2022
Engage in multi-disciplinary activities that promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge and management of water resources. This workshop highlights the new Project WET Curriculum, and updated Activity Guide 2.0 which contains revised and updated activities from the original guide as well as many brand new activities. The workshop is appropriate for informal and formal educators of K-12 students. All participants will receive a copy of the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0 and may be eligible to receive 1 MSDE Professional Development Credit.
To register, please contact our reservation specialists at reserve@aqua.org or 410-576-3833.
Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022
Time: 9:30 am to 4 pm
Maximum Participants: 20
Cost: $15 per person (includes Aquarium admission and refreshments. Lunch is not included.)
Registration Deadline: November 4, 2022
Engage in hands-on, inter-disciplinary activities focusing on wildlife, the environment and conservation. Activities are drawn from the popular Project WILD Curriculum and Activity Guide. This workshop is appropriate for informal and formal educators of K-12 students. Participants receive copies of both the Project WILD and WILD Aquatic Curriculum and Activity Guides and may be eligible to receive 1 MSDE Professional Development Credit.
To register, please contact our reservation specialists at reserve@aqua.org or 410-576-3833.
Date: Saturday, February 25, 2023
Time: 9:30 am to 4 pm
Maximum Participants: 20
Cost: $15 per person (includes Aquarium admission and refreshments. Lunch is not included.)
Registration Deadline: February 17, 2023
Investigate environmental education concepts through activities from the Project Learning Tree Activity Guide. Project Learning Tree is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary curriculum for educators of students in grades Pre-K through 8. Participants in this workshop will receive a copy of the Project Learning Tree Environmental Education Activity Guide and may be eligible to receive 1 MSDE Professional Development Credit.
To register, please contact our reservation specialists at reserve@aqua.org or 410-576-3833.
Date: Saturday, March 25, 2023
Time: 9:30 am to 4 pm
Maximum Participants: 20
Cost: $25 per person (includes Aquarium admission and refreshments. Lunch is not included.)
Registration Deadline: March 17, 2023
Educators of grades 6-12 are invited to join a NOAA Ocean Exploration facilitator at the National Aquarium for a half-day, in-person professional development workshop. Together we'll explore the wonder of cold seeps—investigating what cold seeps are, how and where they form, and how they support biologically diverse communities in the absence of sunlight.
This half-day workshop includes a brief introduction to the geology and biology of cold seeps; demonstrations of middle and high school student investigations; reflection and discussion with peer educators; and a guided tour of the free, online educational resources available from NOAA Ocean Exploration and the Deep Ocean Education Project.
Registration is required and space is limited. A $20 fee will be collected at time of registration, which will be reimbursed following attendance at the workshop. Registered educators will receive a collection of classroom-ready resources, a NOAA Ocean Exploration certificate of participation and a $75 stipend.
To register, please contact our reservation specialists at reserve@aqua.org or 410-576-3833.
Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023
Time: 1 to 5 pm
Maximum Participants: 35
Cost: $20 reimbursable registration fee
Registration Deadline: April 22, 2023
This NOAA Ocean Exploration professional development for educators is offered in partnership with the National Aquarium and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
Education Programs Extracurricular Experiences
The National Aquarium offers students in middle and high school unique immersive opportunities that allow them to explore their interests in aquatic sciences beyond the classroom while preparing for college, careers in STEAM fields and a world that is waiting for their insight!