EDUCATION MATTERS
-Education Matters-
–Love To Learn Programs for 2023/24–
Located on the Galway Promenade, the Aquarium in Galway has been delivering Educational Tours and Workshops for over 20 years and is an accredited member of the BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums).
We are also an SFI Curious Minds centre, a Marine Institute Outreach Centre and in 2023 we became a Project Hub for Explore Your Shore in Co. Galway, won a Gold Biaza Education Award, and were part of the Marine Institute Explorers Education Programme Team who won the ‘Best Education Outreach Award’ category of the Education Awards 2023.
With education being an important part of our mission, the aquarium staff are passionate about Ireland’s native species and their habitats, focusing mainly on Marine and Freshwater environments.
We take part in many community events and beach cleans and are part of a Global network called GPML (Global Partnership on Marine Litter) and are part of the local Clean Coasts Network, working towards keeping our beaches free from litter.
We are proud to offer structured educational opportunities covering a range of curriculum topics, which can be tailored for different age groups and learning objectives. We believe in hands on interactive engagement, which develops students’ skills and competencies.
We cover a range of topics from sustainability, conservation and care, adaptations to life, coastal management, and biodiversity and food production, encompassing STEAM, Ocean Literacy, and Connectivity to Nature.
Providing a range of Accessible Options
Experiences can range from one to four hours and can be carried out within the aquarium, on the local seashore, or online.
Groups can also choose to break up their learning into multiple visits to Salthill or meet us online if they are unable to travel to Galway, through our 6-part virtual tour, and live zoom session with a member of the aquarium education team. Maximum group sizes depend on the type of engagement. For our one-hour tour, we can accommodate up to 80 students, while up to 40 students at a time can be accommodated during our workshops.
Working with Specialised Programmes and National STEM Weeks
As part of the SFI Curious Minds Programme Network, we offer workshops that can assist schools in achieving their Curious Minds Award. For more information see here.
We are also a Marine Institute, Explorers Education Programme Outreach Centre and offer a range of Modules for primary classes in Co. Galway and Co. Clare. For more information visit www.explorers.ie
Our secondary school options include workshops on marine litter and oceans which have been developed with the Junior Cycle for Teachers over the past 6 years are available to secondary school students, plus we deliver seashore and grassland ecology studies for TY groups and Leaving Certificate, and workshops on Animal Welfare and Care, and Marine Spatial Planning and Renewable Ocean Energy.
AWARD WINNING AQUARIUM
In 2023 we were delighted to win a Gold Biaza Education Award for the “Marine Meets MedTech” exhibit with CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices.
The CÚRAM exhibit aims to illustrate how organic elements found in the ocean can inspire and inform research into the development of next generation medical devices that will improve quality of life for people with chronic illness.
CÚRAM, the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices, based at the National University of Ireland, Galway, is helping to establish Ireland’s position as a world leader in medical device R&D. Its goal is to radically improve quality of life for patients suffering from chronic illnesses like Parkinson’s and heart disease through the development of smart implantable medical devices.
By collaborating with CÚRAM, the aquarium could highlight the value of our oceans as a resource and as an inspiration for advances in the world of medicine and medical devices. Examples of research projects linked to the use of bio-materials (e.g. alginates from seaweed) bio-mimicry (e.g. replicating the design of diatoms for use in drug delivery) were selected, highlighting the importance of biodiversity and conservation of our native species and ecosystems.
The exhibit is part of the aquarium tour and workshops are carried out annually as part of CÚRAM teachers in residence programme. More information can be found here.
Our team also loves getting involved in local and national events and STEM Weeks, including Space week, Maths Week, Science Week, and Engineers Week to name a few.
Check out our Events page and social media platforms to stay up to date with all our events and activities.
Links to National, European and Global Networks and Awards.
As part of our membership of the Irish Ocean Literacy Network, and the work we do with the Explorers Education Programme we are delighted to assist schools in becoming:
- Explorers Ocean Champions
- EU Blue Schools
- All- Atlantic Blue Schools
Each year we work with a small number of schools in Co. Galway and Co. Clare as part of the Marine Institute Explorers Ocean Champions Awards. In 2022 we were delighted to award five certificates of participation and see both Oranmore Boys National School and Claddagh National School win national awards. For more information on the winning schools, and to see how your school could take part in 2023/ 2024 see the Explorers Website.
Several of our local schools have also taken part in the EU Blue Schools. All certified European Blue Schools become part of the Network of European Blue Schools, where teachers and students:
- become agents of change for ocean sustainability.
- share experiences with teachers and students from other schools.
- connect to the wider ocean literacy community.
For more information including the handbook, criteria and application form see: BLUE SCHOOLS FORUM
We were also delighted to award an All-Atlantic Blue School Certificate to Scoil Caitriona Junior Renmore, for their project entitled ‘Looking After Our Oceans’.
The project which included first, second and hearing-impaired classes, under the direction of their teachers Jane McLoughlin, Fiona Kavanagh and Laura Coade, aimed to use the creative art forms of paintings, stop motion animation and producing a musical to promote and spread the idea that each of us must take responsibility for our local marine environment.
The project will be run in conjunction with Teacher Artist Partnership-Artist Thérese Murphy, Artist Lara Luxardi, Erasmus+ French school exchange-Genévieve Cueff from École Notre Dame de la Charité in Brittany in France, Dr. Katie O’Dwyer from Atlantic Technological University, Dr. Sandra Austen from Marino Institute of Education and Galway Atlantaquaria and the Marine Institute Explorers Education Programme.
Corporate Events
The Aquarium classroom, floor space and Audio-visual room are also available for corporate events or meeting, with a special rate for environmental groups, charities and NGO’s. Please email info@nationalaquarim.ie for more information.