For Educators

Ranger-led Programs and Field Trips

Park staff provide standards-based programs and field trips for students in some grades for free. Funding for buses and boat tickets is available for some programs. Reservations are required and should be made well in advance. Read more about options for your students below. 

Grades 2 and 3

Island Fox Explorations

Bring your students on a 2–3 hour field trip to the visitor center in Ventura Harbor. Funding may be available. Second grade students will discover where and how island foxes live and how some plants depend on them to move their seeds. Third grade students learn what inherited and behavioral characteristics make island foxes special.

Live Dive

Interact with a park ranger as they dive into the park's kelp forest and encounter fish, lobsters, sea stars, kelp, and more. You may either join for distance learning over Zoom or bring your students 2–3 hour field trip to the visitor center in Ventura Harbor to join from the theater. Funding may be available.

Grades 4 and 5

Sea Star Superpowers

Bring your fourth grade students on a 2–3 hour field trip to the visitor center in Ventura Harbor. Funding may be available. Students will investigate the structural and behavioral adaptations that help organisms grow, survive, and reproduce in the park's kelp forests.

Live Dive

Interact with a park ranger as they dive into the park's kelp forest and encounter fish, lobsters, sea stars, kelp, and more. You may either join for distance learning over Zoom or bring your students for a 2–3 hour field trip to the visitor center in Ventura Harbor to join from the theater. Funding may be available.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

This program is intended for classes that are reading Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. Bring a ranger into your classroom—virtually—for a 45–60 minute live distance learning program. Programs are conducted via videoconferencing platforms, such as Zoom. Students will use clues from San Nicolas Island to investigate how the Lone Woman may have actually lived and how she survived the arrival of a new power that changed her world.

Grade 7

Into the Weeds

Enroll your seventh grade students in a multi-part service learning experience. Participation includes:

1. A classroom visit to discover how iNaturalist can help identify plants and track where they are found;
2. A 2–3 hour field trip to the visitor center in Ventura Harbor to practice identifying plants and observing healthy functioning in a biodiverse ecosystem; and
3. An all-day field trip to Scorpion Harbor to participate in a restoration project by monitoring native and non-native plants.

Funding may be available. Reservations will open soon. Contact [e-mail] to express interest.

Grades 9 through 12

Ecological Restoration

Enroll your students in a multi-part service learning experience. Participation includes:

1. A classroom visit to learn how restoration projects are designed;
2. An all-day field trip to Anacapa Island to participate in a restoration project; and
3. A classroom visit or mentoring for students to explore degree programs and career paths in restoration ecology.

Funding is not available this year. Contact [e-mail] to express interest.

 

Teacher-guided Programs and Field Trips

If you are planning your own field trip to the park, the information below will help you ensure students learn, stay safe, and enjoy their time. Funding is not available for these visits.

Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 1

Teacher-guided Visitor Center Field Trip

Bring your students on a 1–2 hour field trip to the visitor center in Ventura Harbor. Funding is not available. Students will rotate through the exhibit space, garden, and observation tower. Short, optional activities for you and your adult chaperones to lead will be available in each location. A preview of these activities will be shared with you ahead of time to help you and your chaperones prepare. Reservations are required and should be made well in advance.

Teacher-guided Island Field Trip

Island Packers, an official park concessionaire, offers a variety of student programs, from half-day whale watching to full-day Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island trips. Alternatively, you can plan your own field trip to a park island using recommended resources in the Plan Your Visit section of the park website.

Grades 2 through 5

Teacher-guided Visitor Center Field Trip

Bring your students on a 1–2 hour field trip to the visitor center in Ventura Harbor. Funding is not available. Students will rotate through the exhibit space, garden, and observation tower. Short, optional activities for you and your adult chaperones to lead will be available in each location. A preview of these activities will be shared with you ahead of time to help you and your chaperones prepare. Reservations are required and should be made well in advance.

Teacher-guided Island Field Trip

Island Packers, an official park concessionaire, offers a variety of student programs, from half-day whale watching to full-day Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island trips. Alternatively, you can plan your own field trip to a park island using recommended resources in the Plan Your Visit section of the park website.

Grades 6 and Up

Teacher-guided Visitor Center Visit

Bring your students on a 1–2 hour field trip to the visitor center in Ventura Harbor. Funding is not available. You are encouraged to divide your students into groups of 20 or fewer and provide them with a worksheet to guide their learning. Park staff may be able to help you develop activities. Reservations are required and should be made well in advance.

Teacher-guided Island Field Trip

Island Packers, an official park concessionaire, offers a variety of student programs, from half-day whale watching to full-day Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island trips. Alternatively, you can plan your own field trip to a park island using recommended resources in the Plan Your Visit section of the park website.