MSC In Your Classroom

Northeastern’s Marine Science Center Outreach Program staff are available to deliver in-class programs in the following communities: Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Swampscott, and Marblehead. These experiences typically involve introducing students to live animals from the local rocky shore. Please contact the Outreach Team at [email protected] with any questions about programming.

Description

Our classroom visits cover an introduction to the rocky beach ecosystem and organisms. The instructor will lead students through a discussion of basic classification, while explaining special characteristics and adaptations of major groups of common marine invertebrates. Students will then spend time at touch tanks housing various rocky shore marine life. Students are taught proper handling technique and are invited to handle the animals. A brief wrap-up discussion and/or activity will emphasize the concepts learned in the program.

We are able to adjust program toward specific focus (i.e. coastal habitats, living vs. non-living, ecosystems, adaptations, etc). In-class programs typically run for either 30 or 45 minutes, and can be tailored to your needs.

The maximum class size is 30 students in grades K-12 and 18 students in PreK settings. Back-to-back sessions for multiple classes are the norm.

Schedule and Fees

These programs are generally scheduled during the late autumn, winter, and early spring months.

2023 Program Fees (per group):

  • 3-hour guided MSC field program – $350 
  • 30-minute classroom visit – $125 
  • 45-minute classroom visit – $175

Prices are subject to change and will be confirmed at the time of booking. A group is defined as 30 or fewer students (grades K-12) or 20 students or fewer (PreK). We can accommodate up to 3 classroom visits at the same school per day. 

You may bring a check with you, pay online, or the NUMSC can send you an invoice after your program. Checks should be made out to Northeastern University. 

Requirements

We require space and accessibility for our teaching materials, which include pails of salt water that will be wheeled in on a cart. Your space must be able to accommodate minor accidental spills, and will ideally have ramps/elevators for our wheeled cart. We will set up our traveling touch tanks either on the floor or on tables, depending on the age of the audience.

This program is only available for schools local (5 mile radius) to the MSC.

Register

To request a program, please fill out the contact form. A member of our team will be in contact with you with additional instructions and paperwork.