Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Investigate ocean life and propose a conservation solution for people and ecosystems in this 3-week program for elementary school students at Fairfield University.
Course Description
The ocean connects tiny plankton, enormous marine mammals, coastal communities, and the global climate. Students investigate life from coral reefs to the ocean floor while asking how organisms are adapted to water, food webs, temperature, depth, and one another.
Experiments and research make ocean systems tangible. Students test density, model the water cycle, examine ocean chemistry, and compare evolutionary and ecological relationships among marine plants and animals. They research a chosen organism, communicate its adaptations, and consider how temperature change, pollution, fishing, habitat loss, or other human activity may affect it.
For the capstone, students investigate a marine issue and its effects on local animals, plants, and people. They propose a solution designed to benefit both communities and the environment, then plan how it could gain funding, supplies, or public support. A mock-election presentation asks them to defend the evidence and practicality behind the proposal.
This three-week course is part of Summer Discovery’s Institute for the Gifted program on Fairfield University’s campus. The course is available to commuter students. Beyond class, students connect hands-on learning with campus life, new friendships, growing confidence, and curiosity students can keep exploring.
What Will You Do?
• Research marine organisms and their adaptations
• Compare food webs and ecological relationships in ocean systems
• Test density and model water movement and ocean chemistry
• Investigate how climate and human activity affect marine life
• Evaluate a marine issue from ecological and community perspectives
• Propose and present a practical conservation solution
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Explain how marine organisms interact with physical and ecological conditions
• Use experiments and research to analyze a change in an ocean system
• Propose a conservation response that considers both people and the environment
Students will leave with marine-science investigations, organism research, and a capstone proposal for protecting an ocean or coastal system.
Why Marine Biology Skills Matter
Marine biology helps students understand that an ecosystem is a network, not a list of separate species. Changes in water chemistry, temperature, habitat, or one population can affect many others. Experiments with density and water movement connect physical science to where organisms live and how ocean systems behave.
Conservation planning develops balanced reasoning. Students must consider ecological evidence, human needs, tradeoffs, and the resources required to act. These skills support science learning while showing how research can inform practical decisions about shared environments.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for elementary school students who have completed 4th or 5th grade and are curious about ocean animals, coral reefs, climate, conservation, or what happens beneath the surface. It fits students who enjoy experiments, research, drawing, and discussing how people can help ecosystems.
Students should be ready to handle classroom materials carefully, work with a team, consider more than one perspective, and present an evidence-based solution.
A strong participant brings curiosity, patience, and a willingness to revise. The most important preparation is readiness to ask questions and take part.
Students must also meet the Institute for the Gifted eligibility requirements listed in the program FAQ and complete the program application.
Why Fairfield University?
Fairfield gives elementary students a fun and welcoming place to explore marine biology in a coastal Connecticut town along Long Island Sound. Even when the day’s work stays on campus, the surrounding shoreline makes questions about ocean life, habitats, conservation, and human impact feel close and real. The setting adds a sense of discovery without requiring the course to promise unconfirmed coastal excursions.
The commuter-only program combines hands-on learning with friendships, clear routines, and support throughout the program day. Students can investigate living systems, share observations, and build confidence before returning home each afternoon. For families, Fairfield offers an age-appropriate balance of science, creativity, fun, and structure. Students get the satisfaction of seeing how classroom questions connect to the natural world just beyond campus.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification of completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive