Experience the Delaware Bay at sea and ashore!
Our signature program combines shipboard activities
with landside programs to give students a 360-degree view of this one-of-a-kind environment.
Program Duration: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (4 hours).
Cost: $1,500 per group of 50 students/chaperones.
Vessel capacity is limited to 50 students/chaperones at a time.
Two groups, with a total of 100 passengers, may be accommodated on the same visit day by alternating land and vessel groups. Cost for 100 students/chaperones, $3,000.
During this four-hour program, students take part in an educational sail aboard the authentically restored
1928 oyster schooner A.J. Meerwald, New Jersey’s official Tall Ship. After donning life vests and learning
about vessel safety, your group will participate in an immersive, hands-on adventure aboard ship. Depending
on weather and other conditions, activities may include:
● Work together to raise the sails and understand the physics of sail power
● Help haul a trawl net to discover saltwater creatures in the bay
● Explore the complex food web that supports thriving estuary life
● Take a turn at the wheel and discover vessel steering mechanisms
● Read a simple nautical chart and spot aids to navigation
● Unpack an oysterman’s gear and learn about life long ago onboard an oystering vessel
● Take in the sights and sounds of the Delaware Bay during a brief silent observation time
● Learn the history of the A. J. Meerwald and maybe even sing a shanty or two!
Back on land, students deepen their knowledge with a shore-based museum exploration as they rotate through
three learning stations. They’ll dissect a real oyster to learn about this amazing creature and its role in bay
ecology and history. Then, they’ll use primary sources and “read” artifacts to explore shoreside trades that
supported the oyster industry: shucking and processing, boatbuilding, metalsmithing, and more. Finally, the
whole group participates in a shell bagging activity to support oyster restoration projects in the Bay. Every
student leaves with a personal connection to the Delaware and its Bayshore, and an understanding that they
can make a difference in protecting our natural resources.
This interdisciplinary program is designed to support New Jersey Student Learning Standards for science and
social studies, with an emphasis on standards from grades 4 through 6. A full list of standards addressed can
be found here. Content within the program can be adjusted to your group’s grade level and interests.
Additional Information:
● We recommend 1 teacher/chaperone for every 12 students. ● A lunch period is included in the group’s schedule.
● All groups should plan to arrive at the Bayshore Center by 9:30 AM.
How to Book the Program:
● Please email us at education@bayshorecenter.org or call at (856)785-2060.
To fill out a Registration online, click here