Interview With
Felicia Van Stolk
Summer Marine Science Camp is one of many environmental education programs provided by Marine Science Institute, or MSI. MSI was established in 1970, at a time when the citizens of the San Francisco Bay Area were particularly concerned with water quality and environmental protection. For over 40 years, this Institute has been educating and inspiring children to be stewards of the environment, and we have become leaders in experiential learning—serving over 50,000 people each year. Our summer camps began in 1994 with just a handful of campers; ever since then, our camps have grown and developed based upon best practices in providing meaningful summer learning experiences. Our campers have been falling in love with learning from nature for twenty years—and we have been proud to see some of them grow from campers eventually into instructors.
That’s a great question, location is very important, especially for environmental education. Our location in the San Francisco Bay is picturesque, and puts us in a perfect position to explore and learn from many habitats. Our waterfront facility in Redwood City looks out upon protected marshlands and sloughs, and we are also near some beautiful creeks and beaches. Campers enjoy activities in our various learning centers, our teaching aquarium, and on our beach. This location also offers us access to the water—we launch canoes right off of our beach, search for life under our docks and set sail aboard our 90 foot research vessel the Robert G. Brownlee. Once we’re on the water, the whole San Francisco Bay becomes our classroom and no two experiences are the same—it’s all up to what the environment will reveal to us.
Marine Science Institute’s mission is to inspire respect and stewardship for the marine environment through experiential learning. We believe that by putting students in direct contact with the environment, we can emphasize interconnections between humans and nature. We facilitate active learning in a cooperative setting, using observations, critical thinking, and problem solving. By making the learning process fun and memorable in a camp setting, we instill confidence and empower campers to become lifelong learners who really care about the natural and human communities of which they are a part.
What sets Marine Science Camp apart is the opportunity to explore habitats and live animals in a very up close and hands-on way. We specialize in marine science, with an emphasis on our local San Francisco Bay Estuary.
There are many staples of an MSI experience, but really each camp can be so different based on what the environment has to show us that week. We have camps for children entering kindergarten all the way through high school and our staff is expert in interpreting nature to bring meaning to scientists of any age. All of our camps do feature a discovery voyage on our ship, where campers get to take part in science in action. Our research vessel has been conducting surveys of the wildlife of the San Francisco Bay for over 40 years—our campers are part of that research. They get to use equipment to catch fish, sample mud and study the water. All of our campers also get to explore our aquarium and study the live animals up close. They learn how to do science in the field on field trips and at our site, where they are encouraged to use their senses to take in the world around them. Every game, song and craft fits our themes while also helping campers to develop life skills, such as teambuilding, decision-making and communication.
All of our camps are week-long sessions. For our youngest scientists, the camp is a half day, and for campers entering 2nd grade through 8th grade, the camp runs all day. The price of camp ranges from $375-$625 for most camps, with a higher cost for our high school camp, which includes 4 days of over-night camping. Included in the price of camp is a year-long family membership, which provides discounts and special access to activities and events all year, so that the whole family can continue in their adventures with us.
Our summer camp staff is an amazing team of 18 educators. They are the key to having a successful camp—they make the magic happen. As I mentioned earlier, we are so proud to be a part of the growth and development of our campers and volunteers, who eventually become our instructors. Our staff is comprised of MSI alumni, who have long been dedicated to the MSI mission, as well as marine scientists from diverse backgrounds who seek to work with us knowing the importance of sharing science. Our instructors all have bachelor’s degrees, mostly in marine science, which is important, because they are fantastic role models for our campers who are excited to be connecting with scientists and experts in the field. Our staff undergoes rigorous training and continuous professional development in education best practices, as well as staying abreast of topics in marine science.
Because camp is awesome! There is no refuting the value of quality summer learning opportunities—it is great for children to have active minds and bodies throughout the summer. Marine Science Camp has developed from time-tested programs, and MSI continues to be a leader in providing meaningful experiences for children in nature. Our camps keep kids moving and thinking—and all they know is that they are excited and having fun, and if this is what learning is, then they want to keep on learning. Families keep on coming back, year after year, because what we do really connects with them, and connects them to their environment.
Camp enrollment opens at the beginning of February every year, and remains open until every spot is full.
I recommend signing up as soon as possible—every year there is a big surge of sign ups at the start of enrollment, and this is the best way to get the your first choice date.
