Virtual Focus Trips

Connect with Ocean Experts—Live from Florida

Virtual Focus Trips™ are live, two-way video sessions with real ocean experts from Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. You pick the date and time. We connect you to an authentic experience. Sessions are fun, safe, and interactive. We can see and hear you—and you can see and hear us. Our team leads science demos, answers questions, and shares animal encounters to spark STEM curiosity.

Highlights:

Flexible Scheduling – Designed to fit your calendar. Choose the date and time that works best for you.
Engaging, Real-World Learning – Interactive sessions connect you with authentic science experiences.
Standards-Aligned Content – Programs support National and Florida Science Standards.
Educator Resources Included – Detailed guides with learning objectives, vocabulary, and ready-to-use activities.
Anywhere Access – Join Virtual Focus Trips from any location.
Direct Interaction – Ask questions and engage with real ocean experts through synchronous dialogue, chat, and polling.
Affordable Access – Free events and funding opportunities help bring high-quality ocean learning to your classroom or home.

Program Types:

Wonderful Virtual Animal Encounters (WAVE) | Grades 3-12+, Adults | Up to 30 min | live animals
Virtual Science Talks | Grades 6-12+, Adults | Up to 60 min | lecture-style presentations
Explorations | Grades 3-12+, Adults | Up to 30 min | outdoor investigations
SEA Me Read | Grades K-4+ | Up to 30 min | read-aloud STEM storybooks
SEA Show | Grades K-6 | Up to 30 min | free seasonal programs

Funding Opportunities

Sarasota Teachers: Our EdExploreSRQ listings are eligible for funding from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, as well as the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. Find out how to fund your virtual field trip.
CILC Premium Members: Save 10% when you book through this link.
SWFWMD Splash! Grants. Virtual Focus Trips from Mote are Approved Field Studies Programs. Up to $3,000 per teacher for freshwater issues. Public and charter K–12 are eligible.
Save 53% on our Wonderful Animal Virtual Encounters by Adopting An Animal first. Your adoption funds expert care, rescue efforts, and groundbreaking research.

Contact

Jason Robertshaw, Virtual Programs Manager
Email: marven@mote.org
Call: 941-388-2904

Over three decades of STEM learning journeys

In 1986, Mote Marine Laboratory set long-range plans to expand its K–12 education efforts. That vision took a major leap forward in 1989, when Dr. Bob Ballard, famed discoverer of the Titanic wreck, invited Mote to participate in the JASON Project. The program used interactive videoconferencing to take students on electronic journeys to remote locations, beginning with ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. Mote joined as the twelfth site to receive live broadcasts. Within three weeks, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation funded all the necessary equipment, while the Manatee and Sarasota county school districts brought 10,000 students into the experience and covered operational costs. The JASON Project marked Mote’s arrival on the K–12 education scene in Southwest Florida.

By 1994, Mote was pioneering distance learning technology, enabling students as far away as England to pilot an underwater drone in Mote Aquarium’s shark habitat. Building on this momentum and early success, Mote launched SeaTrek in 1996, a premier virtual learning program that connected students around the world to real marine science research. SeaTrek featured high-energy, multimedia science lessons and interactive classroom experiences on topics ranging from shark migrations to coral reef ecology. By 2006, SeaTrek had reached over 15,000 students worldwide.

Over the years, Mote’s leadership in virtual learning earned widespread recognition. In 2017, Mote received the Interactive Video Conference Content Provider Award from the International Society for Technology in Education. In 2020, the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) inducted Mote into its inaugural Pinnacle Hall of Fame, recognizing more than a decade of award-winning excellence. Mote has received multiple Pinnacle Awards, with educators consistently praising the quality and impact of its virtual programs.

Connect with Ocean Experts—Live from Florida

Highlights:

Program Types:

Funding Opportunities

Contact

Over three decades of STEM learning journeys

Become a
Member

Donate to
Mote

Virtual Focus Trips

Connect with Ocean Experts—Live from Florida

Highlights:

Program Types:

Funding Opportunities

Contact

Over three decades of STEM learning journeys

Become aMember

Donate toMote

Become a
Member

Donate to
Mote