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, Richmond, Port Moody, and Coquitlam. If your school is not on this list 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 (minimum 3 blocks) or a 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 Metro Vancouver area may vary, depending on where your school/ camp is located.
Dependent on the staff available to deliver the program, we offer two different participant limits:
- Condensed program: one group per session with a maximum of 150 participants per day (25 participants per session, each session is 45 minutes).
- Regular program: two groups per session with a maximum of 300 participants per day (50 participants per session, each session is 45 minutes).
If you are located in Vancouver or Lower Lonsdale North Vancouver we can offer up to 6 back-to-back sessions.
For schools located in North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Port Moody, and Coquitlam, we can only offer a maximum of 5 back-to-back sessions to accomodate travel time.
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.
We reserve the right to cancel the booking in the event of inclement weather, staff capacity, and unforseen circumstances. You will be notified via the booking contact and arrangements will be made to reschedule the booking for the next available date.
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.
🐋 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.
🪸 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.