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Join Galveston Bay Foundation as we work around the Bay to protect the vital natural resource we're all connected to.
We believe investing in education is one of the most meaningful ways you can preserve Galveston Bay for generations to come. Our education programs get students of all ages outdoors and connected with nature through hands-on STEM curriculum helping to inspire youth to become the future stewards of the Bay. The K-12 TEKS-aligned programs below represent just a few from our more comprehensive education portfolio.
For questions or more detailed information on our education programs, contact Cindy Wilems at cwilems@galvbay.org
“At Home With The Bay” is a virtual series of engaging environmental education lessons taught by Galveston Bay Foundation’s staff. Lessons include a lab, conservation craft, talk with a Bay biologist and an activity of the week. Each lesson comes with an accompanying activity guide available for download here.
If you participate in these lessons, we’d love to hear from you! Please fill out this survey about your experience.
This project was created in partnership with NOAA
For the 2023-2024 school year, we are excited to offer both our in-person Classroom STEM Workshops as well as our live Virtual STEM Workshops.
Classroom STEM Workshops: Galveston Bay Educators will come to your school to present engaging and hands-on STEM activities to introduce your students to the bay ecosystem. The TEKS-aligned workshops are an easy way to integrate the local environment into your curriculum Workshops are 45 minutes to 1-hour long and include the following topics:
Please review the program document here before you register your class for a classroom workshop.
Wetland Connections is a year-long program that connects 6-12th grade students to the bay through nature journaling and data collection with mini-campus wetlands, a series of STEM classroom workshops highlighting the importance of wetlands and human impacts on them, and a spring field experience at a local wetland on Galveston Bay.
The overarching goal for Wetland Connections is to deepen student knowledge and connection with the Galveston Bay wetland ecosystem while learning how to conduct qualitative and quantitative data collection via the water quality testing and nature journaling components of the program.
Wetland Connections is limited to 18 schools and requires an application process. Please read the program document before filling out an application form.
Galveston Bay Foundation Field Experiences could be thought of as field trips, but they’re much more in-depth and begin to cultivate a foundation of learning that can be customized based on grade-level, interests and more. These one-day programs are available for K – 12th grade students at our Trinity Bay Discovery Center in Beach City, our Kemah property, or Sweetwater Preserve in Galveston.
Please review the program document here before you register for a field experience. Registration opens in August for 2024-2025 school year!
If you want your students to participate in a one-day, hands-on service learning event at a site around the Bay, Students in Action is for your class! 3rd – 12th grade students help to protect the health of the Bay by planting marsh grass, creating oyster reefs, collecting nurdles, or picking up trash – all while creating a connection to Galveston Bay that will last a lifetime. Through this work, students also learn about environmental careers and stewardship opportunities that await them!
Please review the program document here before you register for a field experience. Registration opens in August for 2024-2025 school year!
GBF Educators can lead professional development workshops at schools and at one of our field sites for an immersive learning experience. Galveston Bay Foundation is a certified continuing professional education (CPE) provider for the State of Texas. Email Cindy Wilems at cwilems@galvbay.org to book a PD workshop.
Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities!
The Pod: A free rolling trunk filled with activities, lessons, and materials to introduce Galveston Bay dolphins to your class.
REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST 2023
Curriculum and Digital Resources: Click the links below to view and download our free local environmental education resources below:
Virtual Watershed Education and Training (V-WET) connects students with research occurring along the Gulf Coast in an engaging virtual format to increase environmental literacy and STEM skills. The tours below include a full curriculum package with teacher guides, tour maps, student worksheets, and an action project to further engage student learning.
Phytoplankton in Galveston Bay: Tour Texas A&M University Galveston’s Phytoplankton Dynamics Lab to learn more about their research focused on phytoplankton as model organisms to address questions related to water, climate, and energy. Funded by a NOAA B-WET grant.
Coastal Fisheries in Galveston Bay: Tour NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center to learn how they provide the scientific advice and data needed to effectively manage the living marine resources of the Southeast region of the United States and Atlantic high seas. Funded by a NOAA B-WET grant.
Shark Biology & Fisheries Science in the Gulf : Tour Texas A&M University Galveston’s Shark Biology and Fisheries Science Lab to learn biological and ecological research methods to better understand species movement dynamics, life history, and impacts to fishery resources. Funded by a NOAA B-WET grant.
Did you complete a V-WET Tour with your students? Want to share student Action Projects? We’d love to hear from you!
