Sanibel Sea School builds meaningful, long-term partnerships through its A Chance to Sea initiative, connecting children across Southwest Florida to the coast, often for the very first time. For nearly a decade, the school has collaborated with Joseph H. Messina Children’s Center, a program of Child Care of Southwest Florida.

As part of a broader mission, Child Care of Southwest Florida operates ten high-quality, nonprofit learning centers across Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, and LaBelle, while also empowering families through scholarships and financial assistance. The Fort Myers-based Joseph H. Messina Children’s Center supports families through free VPK programming, with care available both before and after school.

Together with Sanibel Sea School, the center has been working since 2018 to expand access to enriching educational opportunities for children who might not otherwise experience them. This partnership has connected thousands of deserving students to Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems.

Sanibel Sea School educators have used program vans to bring school-age children to the beach for immersive field trips and have regularly visited the center to bring marine science directly to students on campus.

During the current school year, educators have visited monthly to deliver hands-on lessons and activities tailored for VPK students.

On April 21, Marine Science Educator Izzy Lutz led students through a “creature feature” to meet live animals from Sanibel Sea School’s aquariums. They learned about two groups of animals, beginning with crabs, including a large hermit crab and a spider crab.

Students observed their unique features and gently touched their carapaces (outer shell) as they learned about their habitat. The experience continued with echinoderms, where students examined the colors and textures of a purple sea urchin and a sea star.

“Next, we took our learning outdoors with a lively game of ‘echinoderm tag,’ reinforcing the concept of sea star regeneration as they played and learned together,” said Lutz.

Sanibel Sea School will return to the Joseph H. Messina Center in May for its final visit of the school year, with plans to resume monthly programming in September. These continued visits ensure that students remain engaged, curious, and connected to the natural world around them.

Programs like this are made possible through Sanibel Sea School’s scholarship fund, which helps remove barriers and create opportunities for children to experience the coast in meaningful ways.

Learn more and support A Chance to Sea here.

Part of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), Sanibel Sea School’s mission is to improve the ocean’s future, one person at a time.