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Virtual Education Programs

We are proud to bring our Mote Education programs and activities into your living and learning spaces. We have something for everyone! Check out all of our virtual program offerings below. 

Registration is now open! These virtual opportunities allow kids to learn about the ocean from the comfort of their own homes. Kids ages 8 to 13 connect with Mote Educators to learn about various topics, try hands-on activities, and interact with like-minded peers. For children ages 2 through 7, we offer pre-packaged STEMventures so you can play along at your family's leisure. These are fee-based programs and space is limited. Registration information and program details are listed below.

Check out our video catalog for a sneak peek:

 

Online STEMventures for kids ages 8-13

During these live and interactive programs, participants will engage with Mote Educators and have the opportunity to ask questions in real-time, connect with other kids, and participate in hands-on activities and experiments at home. Our private and secure programs are led by two Mote Educators plus an Education team moderator to ensure the safest and most engaging virtual program. Each session runs for 5 days from Monday to Friday, available dates and times are listed below. Registration closes Thursdays at 11:59PM the week prior and is required to participate in these programs. 

STEMventures for ages 8-10 (9:00AM-12:00PM)

Aquarium Biologist in Training: Does your child want to become an animal trainer? Come explore the life of an Aquarium Biologist and Animal Trainer. Participants will get to meet our Animal Ambassadors and learn what goes into caring for these unique animals. They will learn how our staff feed the aquarium’s animals, how they keep animal exhibits clean, how they monitor behaviors, and how they create an exhibit that mimics the animal’s natural habitat.

  • Session start date: 6/8, 7/6, 8/3

Ancient Oceans: Travel back in time as Mote Educators introduce you to geological history and fossil formation, focusing on the ancient ocean creatures that once lived during the age of the dinosaurs! Hands-on activities will help participants understand what it takes to be a paleontologist or a marine geologist. They will also learn about the prehistoric adaptations that have persisted through time and mass extinction to help their modern-day descendants survive in today’s conditions.

  • Session start date: 6/15, 7/13, 8/10

Deep Sea Science: Participants will learn about the physical and biological characteristics found in the deep sea, as well as how these properties give way to the adaptations of the animals that call these waters home. Participants will have the opportunity to do several hands-on activities and at-home experiments to better understand this harsh, and relatively unknown, ecosystem. Finally, participants will discover what it means to be a deep sea scientist and design a prototype of a deep sea submersible in order to gain a better understanding of what scientists must do to explore the vast depths of the ocean!

  • Session start date: 6/22, 7/20, 8/17

Aquatic Adaptations: Learning to adapt is something we have all had to do recently, but animals have been adapting for centuries! Structural shapes, physiological features, and bizarre behaviors are the three different expressions of adaptations that can improve the odds of survival. Join Mote Educators as you explore the amazing adaptations beneath the waves through virtual lessons and activities.

  • Session start date: 6/29, 7/27, 8/24 

A child sits at a computer, smiling, they have a paper with shark pictures next to them. There is an image of a woman with a shark jaw and a picture of her making a shark fin over her head, to show what the child is looking at on his computer.

STEMventures for ages 11-13 (1:00PM-4:00PM)

Coding for the Future: Each day, participants will learn about current threats facing marine ecosystems and how scientists, like those in Mote’s Shark and Ray Conservation Program, use coding to solve real-world problems. Participants will learn the basic coding skills needed to create their own animations, cartoons, and interactive games. By the end of the week, participants will be challenged to create independent projects that convey a marine conservation message!

  • Session start date: 6/8, 6/22, 7/6, 8/3

Conservation Through Digital Media: Digital media has revolutionized the way scientists and conservationists communicate with the public. From examining coral reefs to documenting unique behaviors of elusive wildlife, scientists need to know how to communicate about their work! Join Mote Educators, as you explore the different ways in which scientists, educators, and storytellers are working to inspire environmental conservation. Participants will explore the different media commonly used in digital communications, meet with guest experts, and create digital media projects of your own in this week-long program.

  • Session start dates: 6/15, 6/29, 7/20, 8/17

STEMventure Session (per participant): $63 for members, $70 for non-members
Siblings receive a 50% discount!

TECH CHECK
SAFETY GUIDELINES

Want to get to know us better? Check out our meet and greet staff video!

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A woman kneels in front of mangroves

STEMventures for ages 2-7

Looking for fun and engaging programs that you and your child can do at home? Try these pre-packaged STEMventures! These themed packets delivered via email will include education materials and links to videos of our early childhood educators introducing topics and activities. Follow along with us from the comfort of your own home, pause when you need to and complete at your own pace!

You will have access to the content of your purchased theme(s) from June 8 thru August 31, 2020. Adult supervision and assistance is required for these activities. Some activities include printables, but options are provided if printing is unavailable.

The Coast Counts: Join us to learn how humans and animals alike count on our coasts! Roleplay as a Mote scientist while learning how to monitor the health of Florida’s coastal habitats and the inhabitants found there. 

Hide and SEAk: Ready or not, here we come: to learn all about how animals hide from predators and "SEAk" out their prey! Investigate the adaptations ocean animals have at their disposal like patterns, textures, bioluminescence, and more!

Sea Shapes and Sizes: From the smallest plankton to the biggest blue whale; round pufferfish to arrow shaped barracuda; the ocean is filled with all shapes and sizes! Join Mote Educators to learn what this variety does for ocean animals then explore the shape of the ocean floor.

Each STEMventure Theme (one per family): $45 for members, $50 for non-members

Click here for even more details and for a PDF to share info about these programs with friends and family.

Have questions? Please email educationonline@mote.org.

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Looking for more?

SEA Show offers free, streamed events including its Storytime Series for families and the Expert Series for adults. Join us this week!

SEAtrek Virtual Field Trips are live, two-way, interactive virtual experiences between you and our laboratory in Florida. We can see and hear your learners and they can see and hear us. Award-winning lessons are based on the 60+ years of marine research at our lab. Lessons are available in 25 and 50 minute lengths for PreK-12th + Lifelong Learners. Find more information here and book your program today! 

 

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For the latest updates on virtual events, special features and more, find us on your favorite social media platforms. Like, follow, subscribe, and spread the word!

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Digital Downloads and Resources

Here are educational and fun digital resources provided by Mote Marine Laboratory and partners. Each resource is free to download. Resources are listed alphabetically, and more will be added soon!

Coloring pages: Click to download and then print!

Coral Bleaching Identification Guide - FL Keys Coral Reefs

If you're spending time in the Florida Keys, you can support coral reefs by finding and reporting signs of coral bleaching. Bleaching occurs when high temperatures or other stressors cause corals to lose the beneficial algae that give them color and nutrition, which leaves the coral looking white.

Click the image below to download a handy guide that helps divers and snorkelers recognize bleaching, and visit Mote's BleachWatch and COCEAN pages to learn how you can report bleaching and other changes on Florida Keys reefs.

Bleaching examples and link to guide

 

Holiday Card: Print and Fold

Create festive, coral-inspired holiday cards for your family and friends!

Video: How to fold

Sea turtle nesting season tip card

Seafood Watch® Program From Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program empowers consumers and businesses to make choices for a healthy ocean, helping to support diverse marine ecosystems for the future.

Using science-based, peer-reviewed methods, Seafood Watch assesses how fisheries and farmed seafood impact the environment and provides recommendations for seafood Best Choices, Good Alternatives and items to Avoid. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium partners with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program to promote sustainable seafood messaging.

For more info:

 

Education Calendar

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Learning in Action

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Mommy and Me

Mommy and Me

Julie Bowman

“My son Jack and I had a great time in the Mommy and Me at Mote program—we got our hands dirty and our feet wet. Best of all, it gave Jack a fun way to start learning about our oceans and how important they are.”