Student Education Programs

Ranger with boy on Scorpion Anchorage beach.

Quick Facts

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

The park invites you and your students to participate in curriculum-based education programs. These programs are available for school and other organized groups year round at the Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center in Ventura and on park islands.

Visitor Center Programs
Free, curriculum-based programs are available at the park visitor center in the Ventura Harbor. There is no charge for these programs, but reservations are required and should be made well in advance, especially for programs in April, May, and June. Learn more at Visitor Center Programs .

Island Programs
While park staff does not offer any curriculum-based educational programs on the islands, guided hikes for the general public are offered throughout the year and students may attend these programs. No reservations (except boat transportation reservations) are required for these guided tours.

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. For more information visit Island Packers or call [phone].

NatureBridge in Channel Islands National Park offers one- to five-day residential experiences for fourth to twelfth grade. NatureBridge believes environmental education should be a part of every child's life. NatureBridge provides residential field science and environmental education programming in several iconic national parks. Through innovative, standards-based curriculum administered on trail to 4th through12th grade students, their field science educators foster academic achievement, personal growth, leadership and interpersonal skills, and environmentally responsible behavior in youth. Learn more at: Nature Bridge

Programs in Your Classroom
We invite you and your students to participate in curriculum-based education programs presented in your classroom. These programs are available for school and other organized groups. Unless otherwise noted, they are one hour in length. There is no charge for these programs. Reservations are required.

Park rangers present programs on a variety of natural and cultural history topics with connections both to the park and to your curriculum. The programs below are aligned to state and national content standards. Many address California's Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Reservations are required. Contact the park education staff by phone at 805-658-5771 . For more information, visit Programs in Your Classroom .

Distance Learning-Channel Islands Live
Channel Islands Live distance learning programs engage students in learning about the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the Channel Islands through activities that support the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Activities focus on important practices used by scientists, such as asking questions and evaluating and communicating information. Students interact live with park rangers on Anacapa Island, a remote island off the southern California coast, during these presentations.

Live Dives are offered from underwater within one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, the giant kelp forest. These programs focus on kelp forest ecology, marine protected areas, and scientific monitoring techniques. Live Hikes are offered from scenic island overlooks and concentrate on American Indian culture and island isolation and biogeography.

These FREE live programs are available for interactive participation at your location and at the park visitor center in Ventura, California. Learn more at Channel Islands Live Distance Learning] (https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/education/learning/index.htm)

Visit [Education for more information on all of these education programs.