We are dedicated to educating about our unique coastal resources with an emphasis on the Upper Newport Bay. The Back Bay Science Center's target audiences include Informal Education for: 7th-12th Grade and College Students.




Field Trip Opportunities:
In collaboration with Orange County Coastkeepers



Department of Fish and Wildlife Programs
W.H.A.L.E.S
Program
Project Grow
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has created a catalog of hands-on lessons for 7th grade-college students. These individual activies can be selected a la carte to provide your students with a broad range of information about the watershed, estuary, and ocean. The activities are aligned to NGSS standards and cover real-world relevant topics such as Harmful Algal Blooms, Aquatic Invasive Species, and more!

CDFW
Virtual Learning
Opportunities
Through a partnership with Orange County Coastkeepers students may visit the Back Bay Science Center through a program called W.H.A.L.E.S.: Watershed Heroes – Actions Linking Education to Stewardship. The program introduces local students to watershed and ecological concepts through in-class exercises and field trips at no cost to schools.

The California Coastal Commission offers another educational opportunity, held onsite at the Back Bay Science Center. Project Grow offers experiential education programs focusing on the complex environmental disturbances along the urban coast in Orange County, California. During these programs, participants grow their own ecological knowledge and habitat restoration skills to actively assist the growth of healthy ecosystems. With new knowledge and confident action, Project Grow participants develop a deeper sense of connection to the community in which they live.