Marine Discovery Center | Education

Education is at the heart of the Marine Discovery Center’s Mission to preserve, protect, and restore Florida’s coastal ecosystems. The core of our education effort is with school children, future generations of citizens and leaders that will determine the fate of our important marine and estuarine ecosystems. We offer adult educational programs as well, including days trips, and presentations; and we teach the Coastal Module of the Florida Master Naturalist program. We currently seek to expand adult educational programs.

For children, we offer a variety of programs. The success of our programs springs from our “in the water and hands-on” learning style tailored to each age group.

Our Summer Camp Program is very successful. Lengths of camps and activities vary. For example, youth can become certified Marine Discovery Center Junior Naturalists by attending a 2-day camp that incorporates kayaking, fishing, programs aboard our pontoon boat Discovery, and laboratory investigations. Other camp programs include SCUBA diving, arts and crafts, surfing and more.

During the school year, our educators offer a suite of programs in the classrooms. MDC educational programs and curricula are approved by the Volusia County School Board and encompass Sunshine State and FCAT standards.

Our staff of educators includes Certified Secondary Biology, elementary school and college teachers, each with more than 7 years of experience.

While more than 6.000 students have benefited from our programs, the Marine Discovery Center seeks to have even greater impact. We can do this by educating additional youth that may go on to understand the importance of protecting and preserving our coastal environment. Additional resources and educational volunteers can make that goal possible.

For more information, contact the Education Office directly at 386.428.3310 or the Marine Discovery Center Gift Shop and Reservations Office at 386.428.4828 or toll free at 866.257.4828