An Aquarium that Loves Education
An Educational Aquarium
Galway Atlantaquaria prides itself on its passion for all things water, and this inspires our educators to teach in a way that is fun, interesting, interactive, inspiring, and engaging.
It is the aquarium ethos to “Engage, Educate And Inspire”.
For over 25 years, we’ve been dedicated to showcasing and caring for Ireland’s unique marine and freshwater wildlife. Home to over 80 species of animals from our rivers, lakes, canals, coastline and ocean, the aquarium offers an up-close look at the rich biodiversity of Irish waters.
An Exciting Year Ahead
Through engaging exhibits and outreach programmes, we inspire local, national, and international audiences to better understand and protect our shared marine and freshwater environments.
The new school year is gearing up to be a very exciting one. In September we will offer a full range of secondary school ecology programmes, updated to the new biology leaving certificate curriculum. We are also looking forward to joining Eco-Unesco online, for a webinar to celebrate Sustainable Development Goals Week 2026 on the 24th September. In October we will celebrate Space Week and Maths Week, with special workshops exploring life on planet earth, adaptations to life and the potential of life on other planets, plus water conservation and the cost of clean water.
In November we are super excited to be part of Science Week, during which we will explore all things water, from its properties and characteristics, to how it shapes the world around us.
Heading into 2027, we will offer our special engineers week workshop, that examines the topic of flooding and coastal defences. We will also look at natural based solutions and sea walls, and design and make a small scale flood defence.
As spring approaches we will head back outdoors, for seashore safaris, and field trips to Terryland Forest Park, and get ready for the school tour session. Workshops will be offered on a limited basis during May and June, and are booked on a first come first served basis at this busy time of year, so book early to avoid disappointment.
What Can The Aquarium Offer Students?
We offer programs that are inline with national curricula, and key competencies and skills development, from the aistear curriculum, all the way up to third level education. We support schools to engage learners in education outside of the classroom, using inquiry-based approaches and content that is relevant to everyday life. We can offer some content As Gaeilge, and can adapt workshops to meet the needs of your group when appropriate. And most importantly we aim to engage and inspire, so content and materials are tailored to the audience as much as possible.
We also have a range of tools and resources that students can use during their visit. Many of our workshops and fieldwork activities are based around hands-on investigations and exploration, for which all materials will be provided. A quiet space can be made available when needed, along with a range of sensory equipment.
Our Classroom and Audio Visual Room can be set up in a classroom or theater style, and groups of up to 50 can be catered for. For tours and outdoor activities we can facilitate groups of up to 80 individuals at one time. Also please make us aware of any mobility requirements, as we will work with you to try and accommodate groups and individuals where possible.
A space for eating lunch or taking short breaks can also be booked.
What Can The Aquarium Offer Teachers?
We can provide teachers and schools with online materials to prepare for your visit, or carry on the exploration afterwards. Tea and Coffee are available for teachers participating in workshops or fieldwork.
We are happy to work with schools to adapt content to meet the needs of the students or class, just ask when making your booking enquiry. We can also provide information about other activities and local venues that might be of interest. Bus parking is available on Salthill Promenade, and Salthill playground, plus a number of local shops and restaurants are available nearby. Curious Minds Certificates are available for schools completing a curious minds award who complete a curious minds workshop. If your school is working towards any other awards or certificates please let us know and we will do our best to help you on your journey.
For schools who can’t get to the aquarium, we have a range of materials on the aquarium website and youtube channel, and are also a centre for the Marine Institute Explorers Education Programme working in counties Clare, Galway and for the second year in a row online project modules are available to inland counties. The Explorers Education Programme is funded by the Marine Institute and promotes ocean awareness, knowledge and engagement, as well as supports ocean literacy and marine education in primary schools.
If you would like an Explorers Education Module for your school, please click on the link below
Our Themes:
Marine and Freshwater Biodiversity, Ocean Literacy, Fieldwork Ecology Studies, Conservation and Empathy of the natural environment, Animal Welfare and Care, the Blue Bioeconomy and Physical and chemical World of Water.
Our Methods:
Inhouse talks and demonstrations, workshops and tours, outdoor learning. We are also part of a number of outreach programmes. We work out of our classroom, audio visual room, aquarium, seashore and Terryland Forest Park.
An overview of our workshops can be seen below:
The Aquarium Team was really approachable and knowledgeable. They were also really accommodating, despite the fact of the group being late due to problems commuting there with the bus and delays when organising big groups. The experience in itself was really well organised, full of history, biodiversity and one health topics connecting all aspects of the marine from urban planning to natural environments and biology as well as new research ongoing that they support. I will truly recommend this experience to anyone going to Galway – University College Dublin, Davis Group
Everything- the day is so well organised. The content was age appropriate and the facilitators were so helpful and kind to the children. The children all loved learning new facts about the animals in the aquarium. Huge thanks to everyone involved – Newcastle National School, Galway
It was an excellent way to help students participate in marine life and understand their physiological process – Galway Community College, Secondary School Galway.
Would you like to learn more?
You can get in contact with our Aquarium Education Team by emailing info@nationalaquarium.ie
.