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Our educators and volunteers are passionate about our incredible Oregon Coast and the amazing wildlife who share it with us. We offer a variety of programs and resources to meet your needs from self-guided tour materials to teacher workshops.
Questions? Contact our Teacher Programs Manager
Additional Resources:
Come learn at the coast! Whether you want to learn more about opportunities for your students or are looking to learn more yourself, our teacher workshops and open houses offer something for every teacher!
June 18, 2026
Join the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Yakona Nature Preserve and Learning Center as we explore student-driven investigations that combine nature journaling with scientific tools.
July 31, 2026
Join us Friday, July 31, 2026, from 7:00pm -9:00 pm for a captivating evening – designed just for educators – exploring the new Amazon Basin exhibit! More details coming soon!
Want to be notified when the registration opens? Contact TeacherPrograms@aquarium.org!
November 14, 2026
Got a question about planning a field trip? Wondering about having our educators come to visit your class? Curious about collaboration opportunities or educator workshops? Drop by our free Educator Open House to learn more about the many Aquarium opportunities for educators and students.
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Recommended for Grades 1-2
This place-based educational program was developed by the Cascade Head Biosphere Collaborative and the Oregon Coast Aquarium. “Exploring Nature’s Families” is uniquely designed for younger learners and invites them to explore the interdependence and biodiversity of estuaries through the lens of three families and how they find food and safety in the estuary. Through the 6-part video series, students will be immersed in the landscape, traversing through forests, wetlands, ultimately out to sea as they uncover clues to what make the estuary such an amazing home. This video series is a learning journey paired with interactive activities, providing the tools needed for a complete lesson plan. This program will provide hands-on opportunities for learning and exploration about the biodiversity of life in the estuary, the relationships between parents and their young, our own role and responsibility as living beings who are also dependent on the estuary, and more. Activities will invite students to use critical thinking and collaborative group work to answer real questions and generate ideas.
To access the Exploring Nature’s Families Video Series, click here.
To access the Exploring Nature’s Families Teacher’s Guide and Classroom Lessons, click here.
Recommended for Grades 3-5
To access the Teacher’s Guide to Exploring Oregon’s Rocky Shores, click here.
Recommended for Grades 5-6
This place-based education program was developed by the Cascade Head Biosphere Collaborative , Oregon Coast Aquarium, and the Lincoln County School District. “Raindrop to Sea” explores the inner workings of the water cycle, providing students insight into weather, watersheds, and life in the wetlands. Resources include nine videos which guide students through a watershed in the awe-inspiring Cascade Head Biosphere Collaborative on the Central Oregon Coast. Led by two engaging Youth Correspondents as hosts, students will be immersed in the landscape, traversing through forests, wetlands, and ultimately out to sea as they track a raindrop through the never-ending water cycle. This video series is a learning journey paired with interactive curriculum activities, providing the tools needed for a complete lesson plan.
To access the Raindrop to Sea Video Series, click here.
To access the Raindrop to Sea Teacher’s Guide with Classroom Activities, click here.
Recommended for Grades 6-8
To access the Teacher’s Guide to Diving into Oregon’s Kelp Forests, click here
Recommended for Grades 6-7
This program focuses on the characteristics that make the Oregon Coast special and unique, and ways that people can build their relationship with coastal places, organisms, and ecosystems. Using a place-based education approach, we aim to improve students’ connection to the Oregon Coast by using visual aids (e.g., maps, photos, technology) and various aspects of place as educational tools.
This program follows a broad and open-ended framework, providing structure for students to investigate their surroundings using many different experiential learning approaches, including journaling, field-based activities, observation, and reflection.
To access the Teacher’s Guide to It’s Your Coast, click here
Accompanying resources:
Recommended for Grades K-8
The Oregon Coast Aquarium and Lincoln County School District (LCSD) have a long-standing Ocean Literacy Partnership with the goal of making our students the best-prepared oceanic sciences students in the country. To support that goal, Oregon Coast Aquarium and Lincoln County School District are creating a new education framework that will make local environments and communities the context for learning. Each grade level will be organized around one Focus Ecosystem, with both classroom and field-based investigations, based on the Next Generation Science Standards and local issues. This framework is currently under development. For more information about these programs or other opportunities for teachers, contact education@aquarium.org.
Any Grade
Adopting an animal is a great way to help your students build connections with our very own Oregon wildlife and foster a heart for marine conservation. Our classroom adoption package includes additional educational resources and content centered around your adopted animal to use in your classroom.
Interested in collaborating with the Aquarium to design a project for your students? We would love to work with you to design a project that engages your students in authentic STEAM challenges around marine science and conservation with real world applications here at the Aquarium and on the Oregon Coast!
For more information about these programs or other opportunities for teachers, contact our Teacher Programs Manager.
Since opening in 1992, the Oregon Coast Aquarium has been a premier attraction on Oregon’s central coast and an enduring advocate for the health of our ocean. For over three decades this 501(c)3 non-profit organization has supported marine wildlife and fostered environmental stewardship through its education programs, community partnerships, and rehabilitation efforts. Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the Oregon Coast Aquarium is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 aquariums in the U.S., providing visitors with opportunities to connect with 15,000 animals spanning 300 different species. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is located at 2820 S.E. Ferry Slip Rd., Newport, OR. Learn more about the Oregon Coast Aquarium and its vital work at aquarium.org, 541-867-3474. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest updates.
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