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| Many of the kids who come through SEACAMP San Diego go on to become oceanographers, marine scientists and environmental activists. Check out what some of them are saying: |
"Seacamp provides my students with opportunities they would never experience in the classroom! We live in the middle of the desert and many of my students have never experienced the ocean. The instructors are so knowledgeable and make learning fun for all, including myself! The students talk about it for months after we return from our trip!"
Jennifer Matejkovic, 5th Grade Teacher
Clark Co. School District
Las Vegas
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"The best part was going out to the islands. Looking at all the colorful schools of fish was really cool. My favorite part though was snorkeling with all the seals. Another really fun thing that we did was jumping off the boat and going on the raft. This was a really great and exciting day, which I wish I could repeat again.
One thing I will never forget is on my way back from the islands I saw two Dall's porpoise jump out of the water. Then sometime later after that I saw ten dolphins swimming right against the side of our boat and jumping in the air. Another thing that I will never forget is that I kissed a sea cucumber....Overall this was a great experience, which I would love to repeat again sometime."
Caitlin, 8th Grade
Oceanside, CA
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"This is my 15th year taking students to SEACAMP. During this time the students and I have had a multitude of wonderful experiences. Watching the students’ faces when we come over the hill overlooking the ocean is priceless. Being from the desert, this is the first time some of them have even seen the ocean. When I ask the students what they thought of the trip, all of them respond with praises for the entire experience.
From the counselors to the labs, snorkeling, boogie boarding, research vessel, Scripps Aquarium, tide pools, and all the other great activities, the kids simply reply that they "loved it all..." And, it's great for the chaperones too. I've taken students on several different overnight trips. SEACAMP San Diego’s staff simplifies the experience for chaperones, making it one of my favorite trips.
In 2000, I taught accelerated 7th grade math and life science. I had one child who was brilliant but didn't have the money to attend SEACAMP. I called his mom and told her that I thought he would benefit from the trip and that we would help pay for him to attend. She agreed. After the trip, the student was so excited, he started researching different oceanographic schools. He is defining his goals thanks to the wonderful experience SEACAMP offers children. SEACAMP is not only fun, but also educational. Those who attend don't even realize that they are learning using the world as their classroom. I would highly recommend SEACAMP to anyone who likes having fun."
Mike Steinbrink,
Lied Middle School ECS
Las Vegas, NV
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"Sea Camp San Diego has provided me with a very meaningful experience. Throughout my two visits, I have found the curriculum to be both educational and fun. As if its beautiful location were not enough, the SEACAMP staff completes the experience. They are very knowledgeable, accommodating, reliable and entertaining. Our counselors seemed very enthusiastic about being with us, and they made us all feel very welcome and comfortable. Due to the fact that this was our second trip, the SEACAMP staff gladly adjusted our curriculum to fit our desires and needs. there seemed to be an optimum balance of classroom and hands on activities, as well as multiple opportunities to explore San Diego. SEACAMP was a fantastic break from the ordinary; it was a very individualized program full of meaningful opportunities. In each lab that my group took part in, we were given the chance to "get our hands wet" in one form or another. Whether we dissected a perch, pet a leopard shark, or discovered tiny jellyfish polyps in water samples, the labs were always interesting. We were presented with a surprisingly wide variety of things to do, each activity serving a different purpose than the last. The camp seems to be run smoothly and efficiently- there are definitely expectations fro students, but none are unreasonable. The atmosphere of SEACAMP is difficult to describe- it is educational yet fun loving, and organized while being laid back. if given the opportunity, I would go back for a third visit in a heartbeat! a place like SEACAMP is hard to get sick of!"
Jillian Hargrove, Senior
Evergreen Sr. High School
Evergreen, Colorado
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"As I walked out of the airport I felt the cool breeze and perfect weather surround my body. It was at that exact moment that I realized SEACAMP was going to be a blast. Within 30 minutes we were on a sun filled beach, and scrunched into wet suits awaiting a great hour of boogie boarding. Your adrenalin is pumping as a " gnarly swell" catches onto the back of your boogie board launching you into a twisting spiral of all around fun. This was just the start of the whole SEACAMP journey. Don't even get me started on the delicious meals that melted in your mouth as you stuffed in another bite of the delicious cheesecake that I still dream of. I also, treasure all of the immaculate wild life that I watched through the plastic of my goggles, or the glass of a huge tank. No matter where we traveled the culture, natural beauty, and wonders of San Diego always followed. Then once you entered your dormitory it was just a place to relax from a long day of snorkeling, Sea World, Boogie Boarding, or whatever the day's activities were. The best part of the whole fun filled adventure was just hanging out with my buds. I remember all of the inside jokes that were born on the bus rides to our destinations, and during the bonfire that capped off the whole experience. Just the whole atmosphere made this trip something I will embrace for the rest of my life."
Andrew Cooper,
Bell Middle School
Golden, CO
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"Not only did I learn things that I never thought I would learn, I also ate, felt, and saw things that you can't even imagine. SEACAMP was definitely a unique experience. The occasional embarrassing sleep talk heard throughout the dorm, and the pure image of watching your best friend eat a fish heart just made this trip irreplaceable. Who couldn't have fun on a weeklong field trip to California? Everything about this trip was awesome. There were the long bus rides to the beach in the white vans with the huge SEACAMP emblem on the side. Inside those vans there was the everlasting salty scent of ocean-soaked seats. We also experienced that rush of excitement when the van pulled up to the glistening shore of the Pacific. Boogie boards, wetsuits, and fun were all on their way in a van shortly behind. Boogie boarding was not the only activity we did at SEACAMP.
We had an amazing trip to SeaWorld, where rides, food, and fun were in our grasp. Also, back at the dorms, we got to kayak. The fish and squid dissections also were a unique part of this experience. Anyone willing enough was allowed to eat the lens from both the fish and squid eyes. You can't even imagine what that is like! But, like in every fairy tale, all good things come to an end. The last day of SEACAMP, there was a huge bonfire, where people roasted marshmallows and made s'mores.
I went to SEACAMP scared and home sick, but I left with a totally different perspective. That trip was almost exactly like a new box of cereal. I was expecting to go in and find one thing, but in the end, I came out with an extra prize. I left California with knowledge in my head, great memories in my eyes, the always-present California ocean scent hovering inside my nose, and a nice squishy squid eye, floating in my stomach."
Emily Dreiling,
Bell Middle School
Golden, CO
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"My name is Janie and I teach at an alternative school in Colorado Springs. For the last six years I have been bringing my students to visit SEACAMP San Diego for a few days of fun, experience and learning.
The kids that I teach have been so limited by their families and circumstances. Many of them have never seen the ocean before and forget swimming and snorkeling. SEACAMP opened up so many new and exciting experiences for them and to watch their faces when they were there was priceless. This program has become such a draw, that students purposely enroll in our school because they have heard about SEACAMP. Of all of the kids who have attended this camp over the years, 80-90% have stayed in school and/or graduated!! I think that speaks highly of this program in and of itself!! But, I digress, I want to share the story of one special student who was completely changed by her experience at Sea Camp.
There was a young lady, I'll call her Joannie in order to preserve her identity, although I don't think she would mind my using her real name!! She came from a very dysfunctional home, mother was a speed addict and dad was nowhere to be found. She was emancipated at the age of 14 and became pregnant and gave birth the same year. She made a very wise decision for such a young girl and gave up her daughter for adoption to a loving family who has become her own family over the years. However, she was left on her own and had to work to put food in her mouth so school became something unimportant and she had to drop out in order to make a living. I taught her in 8th grade before all this happened and then she enrolled in our school two years later. She and I became very close and I insisted that she go on the SEACAMP trip that first year in our school. We struggled to find her enough money to pay the tuition for the trip. That trip changed her life. She always loved dolphins and was so excited to see them in the wild as we traveled on the boat to the Coronado Islands. I remember her standing on the bow of the boat and just screaming with joy. She participated fully in all of the activities at Sea Camp and went back to Colorado a changed person. For the four years that she stayed in high school, she went on every SEACAMP trip with me. She graduated last year and is enrolled in the University of Colorado. Her goal is to major in Biology and eventually transfer to the University of California, San Diego and study marine biology. Every time I see her, she reminds me that someday she wants to intern at SEACAMP as one of the staff and will meet me there with another group of at risk kids like her!!
If this isn't a great story about SEACAMP, I don't know what is!! Thank you all for being so good to our kids and me. I love you guys and when I return to the States, I will definitely start up a SEACAMP program in whatever school I teach in. Thank you for your commitment to the kids of today and for teaching them to love the ocean and all its creatures and hopefully to someday become advocates to save them from ourselves."
Janie, Teacher
Alternative School
Colorado Springs
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"Thought you might like to know that my daughter Holly had an absolutely awesome time at Seacamp I and II recently. She can't stop talking about all that she learned and how much fun she had - and that she wants to go back again next summer. The camp was more than an experience for Holly; she was transformed!"
John, Parent
Oklahoma
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"Until this trip I did not know very much about what lived in water. When someone would ask about sea life I would just stare blankly and let someone else answer the question.
Now I know all about sea life and can even stump my parents! I had so much fun on this trip and really got to know everyone. I love the adventures that we went on daily and especially liked snorkeling on the Coronado Islands. I also liked boogie boarding. What a rush!
You are great teachers and I will always remember everything that I learned on that trip! Thanks for everything!"
Genna, 7th Grade
Montessori Middle School
Colorado
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