THE BAY INSTITUTE AND AQUARIUM OF THE BAY

Educating the
We believe that providing free
science-based education programs
to local public school students
is critical to our mission. With
this in mind, we are broadening
Aquarium of the Bay’s free curriculum-based
education programs, which have served
more than 100,000 students, teachers and
chaperones over the past 15 years. With our
education system’s growing need for more
STEM (science, technology, engineering,
mathematics) programs, these programs are
paving the way for the next generation of
marine scientists. Grounded in science, the
Aquarium’s education programs adhere to
California State Science Standards (CSSS), one
of many reasons that they are in such high
demand by public school teachers across the
Bay Area.
12
New in 2010, the Discover the Bay Hybrid
Ferry program is a collaboration with Alcatraz
Cruises that provides an immersive learning
experience combining a trip aboard the
nation’s first hybrid ferry with a visit to the
Aquarium’s exhibits. This new program is ageappropriate
for 5th to 8th graders, focusing
on ecology, the food web, water chemistry and
history of the Bay, climate change and energy
saving technology. Although this program is
fee-based to cover costs, we also offer a limited
number of free Discover the Bay Hybrid Ferry
programs with support from Alcatraz Cruises.
The Aquarium also launched an initiative
to serve Bay Area special needs audiences in
2010. Funded by Union Bank, this initiative
began with the development of a Special
Needs Advisory Committee—a group of six
teachers, community groups and parents.