Mobile Education Programs - Vancouver and Lower Mainland
Mobile Education School Programs
Explore ocean topics like climate change, overfishing, and ocean pollution through our hands-on, in-person workshops. Led by expert Ocean Wise educators, these experiences empower students to take meaningful action for the environment in their everyday lives. Our flagship Sea Dome Experience features a 360-degree, 4K immersive journey inside an inflatable dome, paired with three interactive stations where participants learn about ocean ecosystems, climate impacts, and marine life through real artifacts and engaging storytelling. If the Sea Dome isn’t a fit for your space, our Artifact Program brings the ocean to you! Choose three modules from our catalogue, and our educators will create a dynamic, hands-on learning experience at your school, camp, or community event.
📍 Our programs are available for schools located in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Delta, Richmond, Port Moody, and Coquitlam. If your school is not part of the list but is located in the Lower Mainland, reach out to us at mobile@ocean.org. We will do our best to accomodate.
If your school is not in the Lower Mainland or BC or you're located in another province, please fill out this waitlist form so we have your contact information. We will let you know when we visit your area!
If you would like to book a half day or multi-day program, please email mobile@ocean.org and we can help you in booking your programs.
For more information about our programs, please refer to our Program Overview and Sea Dome Visual Guide.
A program schedule is required to confirm the booking. We follow your school/ camp timetable and will arrive approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour before your desired start time to allow ample time for set up. At the end of the day, we require approximately 45 minutes to pack up and vacate the space. Program blocks for schools/ camps in the Lower Mainland of BC may vary, depending on where your school/ camp is located.
- Full Day Programs: for schools located within a 30-minute drive from downtown Vancouver, we can offer up to 6 back-to-back sessions. For schools located between 30 minutes and 1 hour away (including areas like North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Delta, Richmond, Port Moody, and Coquitlam, but excluding Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver), we can only offer a maximum of 5 back-to-back sessions.
- Half Day Programs: minimum three blocks.
Dependent on the staff available to deliver the program, we offer two different schedules:
- Condensed program: one group per hour with a maximum of 150 participants per day (25 participants per session, each session is 45 minutes).
- Regular program: two groups per hour with a maximum of 300 participants per day (50 participants per session, each session is 45 minutes).
Please provide at least 2 weeks notice for any cancellations or rescheduling.
If less than 2 weeks notice is provided, we may not be able able to accommodate a rescheduled Sea Dome or Artifact program.
The Ocean Wise Sea Dome Experience includes three exciting stations where guests will learn about various animals and ecosystems, the current issues facing them, as well as handle and view numerous artifacts to bring the experience to life. We have 2 themes available for you to choose from:
🐋 Pacific Species
- Program Coastal Sea Dome Station: Participants will be virtually taken under the sea to explore the depths of the Pacific Ocean. From warm waters to our cooler coastline, delve into life below the surface! Guests will hunt with cuttlefish over sea grass, coast over coral reefs with sea turtles and sharks, feed with the humpback whales off the coast, swim with sea lions in the kelp forests, and dive deep with opalescent squid. Participants will immerse themselves into the wild world of our oceans without ever getting wet!
- Pacific Northwest Artifact Station: Experience the wonders of the temperate ocean off the coast of British Columbia! Let our educators guide you through lush kelp forests and learn about the delicate ecosystem balances that let these underwater forests thrive. Pet a sea otter, hold a sea urchin, and explore various invertebrates that call our beaches home. Learn about the difficulties these animals and ecosystems face every day right before our eyes and how we can help support and clean up our own backyard. Tropical
- Pacific Artifact Station: Migrate into a warmer climate at our Tropics and Whales station. An enticing array of artifacts greet our guests as a representation of the wide biodiversity found in warmer waters. Individuals will learn about coral reefs, the turtles and sharks that call these reefs home, and the variety of challenges they face daily. Learn how the coral reefs protect our oceans, how whales – the masters of migration – also support the health of our ocean and its ecosystems, and what part people can play in supporting the health and wellness of the ocean and all its inhabitants.
🦀 Intertidal Program
- Tides Sea Dome Station: Tiptoe into the shallow end of the Ocean with this immersive video. Starting in the mountains, explore how our freshwater streams are connected to the Ocean by following the lifecycle of salmon. Travel from the valley floor to the skies, then dive into the waves to explore the adaptations necessary to survive in this critical ecosystem! From Eagles to Orca Whales discover the wonders of our coastlines and learn about this treasure trove right at our fingertips. Witness bears fish, sea otters play and soar over the Fraser River Valley in this intertidal exploration!
- High Intertidal Artifact Station: Explore where the ocean meets lands to understand life in the tides. Freshwater turns to saltwater in this diverse zone. From birds to barnacles, dig into an area defined by the gravitational pull of the moon. Participants will learn about the vast array of tidal zones around the world, from beaches to wetlands, and how these ecosystems act as a meeting place for creatures on land, in the skies, and underwater! Travel from the splash zone to the high-intertidal, examining life in the in-between.
- Low Intertidal Artifact Station: Learn about what it takes to survive in all kinds of intertidal environments and how we can safely interact with these critical ecosystems! Living in the mid-low intertidal zone isn’t easy, but our educators will guide you through all the incredible ways these creatures adapt to their homes and the important jobs that they play! From squishy Sea Cucumbers to spiky Sea Urchins, imagine wading through tide pools to find creatures waiting to be discovered!
🐻❄️ Arctic
Adults and children alike will marvel at the enticing artifacts at our Arctic station. Guests are invited to sit around our Arctic map that illustrates how our sea ice has changed over time to help participants really visualize how this landscape is changing. Learn about the connections the Inuit hold to this wild ecosystem, how people have learned to thrive by copying the animals that roam this snowy landscape. Explore the many adaptations that make this ecosystem possible; the thick, fluffy fur of an Arctic Fox, the strong jaws of the Polar Bear, the sleek pelt of the Ringed Seal, and the unassuming Arctic Cod that feeds the masses in this magical region. Through these artifacts, discover the role of each player in maintaining ecosystem health and fighting climate change, and learn what humanity can do to help in this fight.
🪸 Tropics
Migrate into a warmer climate at our Tropics and Whales station. An enticing array of artifacts greet our guests as a representation of the wide biodiversity found in warmer waters. Individuals will learn about coral reefs, the turtles and sharks that call these reefs home, and the variety of challenges they face daily. Learn how the coral reefs protect our oceans, how whales – the masters of migration – also support the health of our ocean and its ecosystems, and what part people can play in supporting the health and wellness of the ocean and all its inhabitants.
🦦 BC Coast
Experience the wonders of the temperate ocean off the coast of British Columbia! Let our educators guide you through lush kelp forests and learn about the delicate ecosystem balances that let these underwater forests thrive. Pet a sea otter, hold a sea urchin, and explore various invertebrates that call our beaches home. Learn about the difficulties these animals and ecosystems face every day right before our eyes and how we can help support and clean up our own backyard.
🏖️ Intertidal
Explore where the ocean meets lands to understand life in the tides. Learn about what it takes to survive in all kinds of intertidal environments and how we can safely interact with these critical ecosystems! Participants will learn about the vast array of tidal zones around the world, from beaches to wetlands, and how these ecosystems act as a meeting place for creatures on land, in the skies, and underwater! From squishy Sea Cucumbers to spiky Sea Urchins, imagine wading through tide pools to find creatures waiting to be discovered! Travel from the splash zone to the low-intertidal, examining life in the in-between.
🐳 Marine Mammals
Explore the mechanics of some of the largest, yet most elusive creatures on our planet. These majestic creatures traverse expanses from the warmest regions of our planet to the coldest. Follow multiple whale species on their migratory journeys: the deep dive of the sperm whale, the feeding habits of the humpback, and the stealth and cunning of the toothy Orca. Learn how these majestic individuals feed and support nearly every ecosystem in our ocean, from the shoreline to the deepest depths, and all the creatures that call these ecosystems home.
- 🎪Sea Dome Size: The Sea Dome is four metres tall by six metres in diameter and requires an indoor space and power outlet to set up. The ideal space for setting up is in a gym or other expansive, high-ceilinged space. Please make sure there are no additional users of this space on the date of your booking.
- 🛻Vehicle Parking: We require off-street parking preferably as close to the presentation space as possible. Underground parking must be above 8 ft 10 inches (2.7 metres). Please be sure to allow use of accessible entrances, as our equipment is large.
- 👥 Staff Requirements: A member of staff from the school/camp must be present during the program at all times.
🧩For adaptive programming, please reach out directly to mobile@ocean.org.