Travel Abroad
VTVLC Students can travel abroad to exciting locations like Bermuda or Honduras through VTVLC’s Marine Biology course! Marine Biology is designed to inspire young adults to understand and care about the ocean with authentic activities that contribute to the community and nature and involve students with organizations outside the school.
“The trip to Bermuda was one of the most life-changing things I have experienced this year. I always heard things about how beautiful Bermuda is but I never knew what they meant until I was standing on a ledge looking out over the light blue, almost clear water washing up against the rocks. I have always been interested in water and the animals that inhabited it but I couldn’t seem to find many opportunities to study these things until I heard about this class. Not only did I get to learn about so many fish and incredible animals with this class, but I also had one of the most amazing opportunities to go to this beautiful place and swim with these creatures. My favorite part of this trip was by far the snorkeling, I don’t think anyone who was there could’ve chosen something they enjoyed more. Every site we went to had something different and unique about it and this made every snorkel more memorable than the last. We also did a lot of collecting data for the REEF organization. This made data collecting feel even more remarkable because I felt like we were actually helping out. All these things are the reason why I’m looking forward to going to Honduras where I’ll be able to explore new areas that I have never gotten the chance to see. I’m also looking forward to meeting the people and learning about their culture as well as the ecosystem and creatures they have there.”
About the Trip and Course
The 2023 trip will take place at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in Bermuda!
The course is educationally innovative in that it is a hybrid course combining online learning and face-to-face learning. It is multi-school and multi-age with students in grades 9-12 in the same class. The first half of the course will be primarily online but there will also be evening meetings and classes during this time. During this time students will learn about the chemical and physical characteristics of water, ocean origins, ocean environments (rocky, sandy, estuarine, coral reef, open water, deep ocean, etc.), invertebrates, vertebrates, and plankton. In the second half of the course, students prepare for the trip.
Equipment
Students need good quality fins, mask and a snorkel. Many of our students have been able to borrow equipment from former students, friends and/or relatives. Mention the VTVLC Marine Biology course at Waterfront Diving in Burlington for a 10% discount.
We strongly recommend, but do not require, you look into buying Dive skins such as Henderson Hot Skins®, made from either Lycra® or Polyolefin, to help protect you from sun, abrasion and stings.
Timeline
Course Dates: January 30th, 2023 – June 2nd, 2023
Trip Dates: July 5th – July 12th, 2023
Scholarships and Fees
VTVLC awards a limited number of need-based scholarships for the Marine Biology trips.
Trip Fees: $3,500
Total Course Fee*: $500 (1 credit Teaching Partner School Students) OR $600 (1 credit VT Non-Teaching Partner School Students). Schools may cover the cost of the course fee. Please contact the school counseling office to inquire and for confirmation.
Explore Past Marine Biology Trips
