As the crisp Pacific wind collides with their eager faces, and the spray of coastal waves washes over them, a group of Victoria middle school students realize this is not your typical class.
A fresh collaboration between the Victoria School District, Eagle Wing Tours and the Royal BC Museum is transforming swaths of the Salish Sea into interactive, living classrooms.
A pilot project dubbed “Exploring The Salish Sea” is giving students in grades four to eight rare field trips, which include talks from marine biologists aboard catamarans.
“We know that immersive learning opportunities like this offer students new perspectives, as well as improve their focus and knowledge retention,” school board chair Jordan Watters told CTV News.
“We are always striving to enhance the students' learning experience.”
Grade 5 students from Braefoot Elementary were immersed in the ocean curriculum Wednesday.
Setting sail from the Inner Harbour, the class was whisked to unique coastal ecosystems near Race Rocks Ecological Reserve and remote bays adorned with ancient coastal forests.
Taught by naturalists from Eagle Wing Tours, the students dined on fresh kelp as they learned about the risks of micro-plastics to the marine environment.
The Braefoot class was the 16th and final trip of the pilot project's first year.
On April 17, students will gather at the Royal BC Museum to display artifacts from their ocean adventures.
The Victoria School District says the program will expand in the 2019-20 school year.
