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, our education programs inspire respect for the natural world and prepare students to act as informed, empowered members of a global community of hopeful conservationists.
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 12:
$42.95 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 $34.95 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
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Dates: September 19-21, 2023
Join the National Aquarium this September for the first installment of our 2023–2024 Homeschool Days. Students and their families will learn about UNESCO World Heritage Sites 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 a few unique sites from around the world and why they are so important.
Super Scientists
Dates: January 9-11, 2024
Join the National Aquarium for the second installment of our 2023–2024 Homeschool Days. Students and their families will learn all about world-renowned scientists and what they have discovered. Through a self-guided tour of the National Aquarium, families will have the opportunity to visit hands-on discovery stations to learn about Steve Irwin, Dawn Wright, Eugenie Clark and Sylvia Earle and how their curiosity has helped us discover some amazing things about our world.
Scientific Tools Discovery
Dates: March 12-14, 2024
Join the National Aquarium for the final Homeschool Days session of 2023–2024! In this session, students and their families will learn about scientific tools and what they are used for. Participants will have the opportunity to visit hands-on discovery stations that focus on seines, cranes, ID tags and more!
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 homeschool 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 6-8 (Ages 11+) meet from 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
Program Fees
Maryland Homeschool Groups: Grades K to 8:
$15 per student per program
Out-of-State Homeschool Groups: Grades K to 8:
$42.95 per student per program
Chaperone Fees
Each reservation includes one free adult chaperone admission for each group of up to five students. Additional chaperones are welcome at $34.95 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
Deep Sea Exploration
Dates: October 5 and 19, 2023
Join the National Aquarium for the first installment of the 2023-2024 Homeschool Series "Mysterious & Dangerous." This October, join us as we dive all the way down to the deep sea and explore the layers of the ocean, the creatures that live in the dark and the technology we use to get there!
Natural Disasters
Dates: November 2 and 16, 2023
This November, we are talking all about natural disasters. Join the National Aquarium for the second installment of the 2023-2024 Homeschool Series "Mysterious & Dangerous," where we'll learn all about hurricanes, volcanoes and tsunamis!
Poisonous and Venomous
Dates: December 7 and 21, 2023
Join the National Aquarium for the third installment of the 2023-2024 Homeschool Series "Mysterious & Dangerous." This December, we will be learning all about the differences between venom and poison and the animals that have them. Are you ready to pick your poison?
Shipwrecks
Dates: January 4 and 18, 2024
Did you know there are millions of shipwrecks all over the world? This January, join the National Aquarium for the fourth installment of the 2023-2024 Homeschool Series "Mysterious & Dangerous" as we take a closer look at some famous shipwrecks and the stories they left behind.
Underwater Geology
Dates: February 1 and 15, 2024
Did you know there are underwater volcanoes? How about trenches that are deeper than Mount Everest is tall? Join us for our final installment of the 2023-2024 Homeschool Series "Mysterious & Dangerous" and learn about hydrothermal vents, underwater volcanoes and the deepest oceanic trench in the world.
Fall Outdoor
Beach Exploration at Sandy Point State Park
Date: September 11, 2023; 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 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 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 five registered students will be admitted for free. Additional adults may participate for the $10 registration fee.
MS/HS Event
Sharks 101
Date: November 3, 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
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work with sharks? Or what research is being done on sharks? Or how scientists collect data from sharks? Homeschool students ages 13-18 can join us on November 3 at our Animal Care and Rescue Center where we will learn all about sharks and why researching them is so important. 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.
Homeschool Squid Dissection
Date: January 29, 2024; 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 second homeschool event for middle and high school students for the 2023-2024 school year as we discover the unusual, otherworldly squid through discussion and lab activities. Aquarium experts will lead students through dissecting their own squid and teach them how the form and function of the squid's anatomy help this efficient predator survive in the ocean.
Spring Outdoor
Tides, Trash, and Treasure
Date: April 18, 2024; 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.
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 will receive a copy of the Project Learning Tree Environmental Education Activity Guide.
Maryland teachers who complete three of the four qualifying teacher workshops at the National Aquarium or select other sites after October 23, 2012, may be eligible to receive 1 MSDE Professional Development Credit. The four eligible workshops are Project WET 2.0, Project WILD, Project Learning Tree and WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands.
To register, please contact our reservation specialists at reserve@aqua.org or 410-576-3833.
Date: Saturday, March 16, 2024
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Maximum Participants: 20
Cost: $25 per person (Includes Aquarium admission and refreshments. Lunch is not included.)
Registration Deadline: March 8, 2024
This one-day workshop features hands-on multi-disciplinary activities from the WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands Curriculum Guide. All activities are designed to increase understanding of wetland ecology and issues, and to promote informed decision-making regarding wetlands. This workshop is appropriate for informal and formal educators of K-12 students. Each participant will receive a free copy of WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands Curriculum Guide.
Maryland teachers who complete three of the four qualifying teacher workshops at the National Aquarium or select other sites after October 23, 2012, may be eligible to receive 1 MSDE Professional Development Credit. The four eligible workshops are Project WET 2.0, Project WILD, Project Learning Tree and WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands.
To register, please contact our reservation specialists at reserve@aqua.org or 410-576-3833.
Date: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Maximum Participants: 15
Cost: $25 per person (Includes Aquarium admission and refreshments. Lunch is not included.)
Registration Deadline: April 5, 2024
Educators of grades 6-12 are invited to join a NOAA Ocean Exploration facilitator for this day-long professional development program. Enter the world of deep-sea exploration and learn about the technologies required to conduct research in this challenging environment. The program features hands-on activities, discussions and walk-throughs of additional online ocean education resources.
Registration is required, and space is limited. Educators will receive a collection of ocean exploration resources, including lessons, videos and fact sheets, as well as a Certificate of Participation and a stipend.
Date: Saturday, April 20, 2024
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Maximum Participants: 35
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: April 6, 2024
This NOAA Ocean Exploration professional development opportunity 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!