From Apr. 7 to 9, more than 100 second-grade students from Allen Park Elementary stepped out of their classrooms and into the coastal ecosystems of Southwest Florida for a hands-on field trip with Sanibel Sea School.

Allen Park has been bringing students to Sanibel Sea School since 2016, building a long-standing partnership rooted in connecting classroom learning with meaningful, hands-on experiences. As a Title I school, Allen Park Elementary participates in Sanibel Sea School’s A Chance to Sea initiative, a donor-supported scholarship program. The program is designed to ensure that all students have access to high-quality environmental education.

During their visit, students rotated through three different learning stations, each tailored to support their curriculum and spark curiosity about the natural world. Schools can choose from a variety of experiences in Sanibel Sea School’s course catalog, enabling teachers to align field trip content with classroom goals.

One of the most popular stations brought students into the shallow Gulf waters, where they used handheld nets to search for marine life. With guidance from Austin Wise, Marine Science Educator, students worked together to catch and observe creatures while learning about their biology and behavior.

“At the shoreline, we scooped up handfuls of wet sand and discovered coquina clams burying themselves with their gooey foot,” recalled Wise. “Moments later, excitement rippled through the group when a student made a new discovery of her own. She shouted, ‘It’s moving! I’ve never seen a hermit crab before. Everyone gathered around to gently take turns letting the tiny crab crawl over their hands before returning it to the water.”

These kinds of experiences are at the heart of Sanibel Sea School’s mission. Since July 2025, Sanibel Sea School has provided nearly $40,000 in tuition assistance for school group field trips. And as the school year continues, the momentum behind these impactful experiences is only growing.

“We have 18 more schools scheduled to visit before the end of the academic year, bringing hundreds more students out to the coast for hands-on exploration,” shared Sanibel Sea School’s Director, Shannon Rivard. “It’s important to us that our programming continues to be accessible to all schools and students. To do that, we need support from the community. If you value the work we’re doing, please consider donating to our scholarship fund.”

Through programs like these, Sanibel Sea School continues to inspire the next generation of ocean stewards, one field trip at a time.

Learn more about field trips here and donate here.