There are many ways for homeschooling families to learn at the Hatfield Visitor Center. You can explore the Visitor Center's exhibits on your own, attend one of our public programs, arrange a private class for your homeschool group and attend Homeschool Day events in the fall and spring.

Spring 2023 Homeschool Day - Marvelous Marine Life

Friday, March 24, 2023 - 10 am TO 3 PM - Registration closed

The ocean and coast provide unique habitats to a variety of marvelous marine life. Homeschool students in grades Pre-K to12 are invited to join us for our day-long student-focused homeschool program that will explore the adaptations that enable these critters to thrive in these dynamic places they call home. Students will travel to the estuary and use a variety of tools and methods to learn about burrowing shrimp and clams, learn about animal adaptations through a variety of live animal interaction and dissection classes, and more. 

 

IMPORTANT LOGISTICS:

  • Our Spring homeschool event is student-focused; therefore, class tracks are organized by grade levels (PK-1st, 2-4th, 5-7th, and 8-12th) and students take classes with their peers. Parents will register their children for their age-specific track and drop them off at Hatfield Marine Science Center from 10 am to 3pm on the event day. Important: Parents/Guardians or Authorized Adults of Pre-K to 1st grade students must accompany their child for the entire program.
  • Each event includes 2-3 hours of hands-on STEM-themed activities, a break for lunch, craft time, and visitor center exploration. NEW THIS YEAR – Participants in the PreK-1st grade level will engage in programming from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., including two 1-hour hands-on classes, lunch, and visitor center exploration. If participating parents have students in other age groups, they will be able to regroup with them after 2:30 p.m.
  • All visitor center fees for participating children are included in the registration fee. If you are a parent of students in grades 2 - 12 would like to explore the visitor center while your child is participating in the homeschool day, you must purchase tickets in advance and separately on the visitor center website. 
  • Cost:
    • $30 per student (the accompanying adult for PreK-1st grade students is free).
    • Please note there are no refunds or credits for no-shows; credits are available for last minute cancelations due to illness. Please contact the Marine Education Coordinator ([email protected]) if your plans change and your child can no longer attend.
  • Registration Details: Registration is closed!
    • During registration, please register each child separately. On the first screen, you will select that the "registration is for your child/dependent" and not yourself. You will be able to register multiple children for separate events within the same registration by selecting "register another student" on the payment tab. You can then register another child and pay for all participant fees using one credit card transaction.
    • If your child’s age-group is full, please add your child to the waitlist and you will be notified as space becomes available. Feel free to reach out to the Marine Education Coordinator ([email protected]) with any program-specific questions or concerns regarding the waitlist.
  • Submitting Payment:
    • All payments must be received by February 28, 2023. If your payment is not received by the payment deadline, we will cancel your registration and move to the next student on the waitlist.
    • Payments can be made via credit card at any time through our online registration system. The third-party site that is used to process online credit card payments will be down for maintenance on the following dates: January 27, February 24, and March 24. If you try to register on one of these dates, you may still submit your registration and reserve your spot(s) by selecting the "mail a check" option on the payment tab and pay with a credit card when the site is back again. 

Classes per Age Group

*Class schedule is 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.*
Registration is closed; classes are full!

Students in the PreK to 1st grade age group must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or authorized adult at all times. If parents are registering children in other age groups, families will be able to reunite at the conclusion of the older age group classes at 2:30 p.m.

Hands-on Activities Include:

Estuary Investigations - Discover estuaries and the critical habitat they provide as we explore plant and animal life along the Yaquina Bay adjacent to Hatfield. Collect and observe a variety of organisms found in the unique environment of mudflats, and learn about their adaptations. Note: this lab is outside and involves accessing a muddy area of the estuary; therefore, rubber boots or shoes that can get wet and dirty, jackets, and rain gear are strongly recommended.

Build a Habitat  - This live animal class will enable students to interact with and learn about several marine organisms and their needs for survival as they create their ocean habitats complete with algae, snails, crabs, barnacles, food, and shelter.

Crafts and Visitor Center Exploration - All participants will have the opportunity to engage in marine life-themed crafts. Materials will be provided for participants to use on-site or participants are welcome to take all materials for continued fun and learning at home. Participants will also have the option to explore the visitor center during their time at Hatfield Marine Science Center. All visitor center fees for participating children and parents are included in the registration fee. If non-participating family members would like to explore the visitor center while you and your child(ren) are participating in the classes, you must purchase their tickets in advance and separately on the visitor center website. 

Class schedule is 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Registration is closed; classes are full!

Hands-on Activities Include:

Estuary Investigations - Discover estuaries and the critical habitat they provide as we explore plant and animal life along the Yaquina Bay adjacent to Hatfield. Collect and observe a variety of organisms found in the unique environment of mudflats, and learn about their adaptations. Note: this lab is outside and involves accessing a muddy area of the estuary; therefore, rubber boots or shoes that can get wet and dirty, jackets, and rain gear are strongly recommended.

Sandy Secrets  - What is sand made of? What animals big to small live and feed in the sand along Oregon’s shorelines? Participants will explore sand from different areas using tools like microscopes to investigate the secret world of sand and the adaptations of the critters that live there. 

Build a Habitat  - This live animal class will enable students to interact with and learn about several marine organisms and their needs for survival as they create their ocean habitats complete with algae, snails, crabs, barnacles, food, and shelter.

Crafts and Visitor Center Exploration - All participants will have the opportunity to engage in marine life-themed crafts. Materials will be provided for participants to use on-site or participants are welcome to take all materials for continued fun and learning at home. Participants will also have the option to explore the visitor center during their time at Hatfield Marine Science Center. All visitor center fees for participating children are included in the registration fee. If parents would like to explore the visitor center while their child is participating in the homeschool day, you must purchase tickets in advance and separately on the visitor center website. 

 

Class schedule is 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Registration is closed; classes are full!

Hands-on Activities Include:

Estuary Investigations - Discover estuaries and the critical habitat they provide as we explore plant and animal life along the Yaquina Bay adjacent to Hatfield. Collect and observe a variety of organisms found in the unique environment of mudflats, and learn about their adaptations. Note: this lab is outside and involves accessing a muddy area of the estuary; therefore, rubber boots or shoes that can get wet and dirty, jackets, and rain gear are strongly recommended.

Squid Dissection - Investigate the structure and function of external and internal anatomy of squid and how these invertebrates are adapted for life in the sea. Students will learn how to use dissection tools and practice dissection techniques. 

Rocky Intertidal Adaptations - Discover the rocky intertidal habitat and the diverse creatures that live in this ever-changing coastal habitat space. Students will interact with live tide pool animals and investigate the adaptations that enable these critters to thrive in such a dynamic environment. 

Crafts and Visitor Center Exploration - All participants will have the opportunity to engage in marine life-themed crafts. Materials will be provided for participants to use on-site or participants are welcome to take all materials for continued fun and learning at home. Participants will also have the option to explore the visitor center during their time at Hatfield Marine Science Center. All visitor center fees for participating children are included in the registration fee. If parents would like to explore the visitor center while their child is participating in the homeschool day, you must purchase tickets in advance and separately on the visitor center website. 

Class schedule is 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Registration is closed; classes are full!

Hands-on Activities Include:

Estuary Investigations - Discover estuaries and the critical habitat they provide as we explore plant and animal life along the Yaquina Bay adjacent to Hatfield. Collect and observe a variety of organisms found in the unique environment of mudflats, and learn about their adaptations. Note: this lab is outside and involves accessing a muddy area of the estuary; therefore, rubber boots or shoes that can get wet and dirty, jackets, and rain gear are strongly recommended.

Rocky Intertidal Ecology - Discover the rocky intertidal habitat and learn about the environmental forces that make tide pools a challenging place to live. Students will interact with live tide pool animals and investigate the adaptations and ecological relationships that impact the distribution of organisms across the tide pool habitat.

Squid Dissection - Investigate the structure and function of external and internal anatomy of squid and how these invertebrates are adapted for life in the sea. Students will learn how to use dissection tools and practice dissection techniques. 

Visitor Center Exploration - Participants will also have the option to explore the visitor center during their time at Hatfield Marine Science Center. All visitor center fees for participating children are included in the registration fee. If parents would like to explore the visitor center while their child is participating in the homeschool day, you must purchase tickets in advance and separately on the visitor center website. 

COVID-19 Safety Procedures

We are looking forward to providing an exciting and safe learning experience for all participants and have outlined expectations and requirements that are in accordance with the current Oregon State University’s COVID-19 response (https://covid.oregonstate.edu/) as well as the Oregon Health Authority (OHA’s) Youth Program Reopening Public Health Recommendations and Requirements (https://beav.es/3bx). Prior to registering your children for our homeschool programming, please thoroughly review the COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Expectations outlined below. Parents/Guardians will be asked to verify they have read and agree to the following safety protocols and expectations during the registration process. 

Per Oregon Health Authority and Oregon State University guidance, all participants and Oregon Sea Grant (OSG) Marine Education Staff must comply with the following safety protocols and procedures. Please note that these protocols and expectations are subject to change as OHA and OSU policies are updated. 

General Policies and Daily Expectations (as of December 20, 2022):

  • Face coverings and masks are welcome, but not required. Per OHA Guidelines, if Lincoln County moves to HIGH risk for COVID-19 due to case load, masks will be strongly RECOMMENDED. We will be tracking county risk levels via the CDC COVID-19 by County website and will be communicating accordingly.
  • Physical distancing is recommended as much as possible to maximize safety.
  • Educators and participants will be encouraged to wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60-95%) often, and will be required to wash their hands prior to eating lunch. 
  • Students are required to bring their own lunch and sharing of food is prohibited.
  • Prior to leaving your home location:
    • We ask that you conduct a health check of all program participants (adults and children) for COVID-19 symptoms prior to joining us for your programming. 
    • If any participants are experiencing any of the following symptoms, we kindly ask that your family does not participate in the homeschool event.
      • Cough
      • Fever (over 100.4°F)
      • Chills
      • Muscle pain
      • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
      • Sore throat
      • New loss of taste or smell
  • If your family needs to cancel, please contact the Marine Education Coordinator ([email protected]; 541-867-0233) as soon as possible and we would be happy to credit your fees for future use. Credits will not be administered for no-show participants. 

We are committed to providing fun homeschool programming that maximizes safety for staff and participants. As mentioned above, these safety protocols are subject to change as we continue to monitor cases in Lincoln County. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Homeschool Day Parent Feedback:

"The teachers are stellar, the experiments are fresh and new, and the curriculum appeals to all our family in different ways . . . Thank you for a high quality experience. We will be back again for sure!"

"The teachers were knowledgeable, organized, focused and made the learning fun. It was an excellent day! I would definitely recommend this to other home school families!"