Ocean Education Initiative
Real science. Real places. Real immersive learning.
Science has a story. We take you there.
OEI creates immersive virtual field experiences for middle school students, designed to scale across grades 4 through 10, built from real fieldwork, real ecosystems, and the scientists who study them.
Our work spans freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems, connected by the watersheds and water systems that link them all.
Our first field experience is in development.
What we’re building
OEI is developing a new approach to science education that brings learners into the environments where science happens.
Through fieldwork and guided storytelling, we create virtual field experiences that help students observe ecosystems, work with data, and understand how scientific knowledge is built.
Our first field experience, focused on river and wetland systems, is currently in development.
Virtual Field Experiences
360° learning experiences built from real ecosystems, scientific observation, and data.
Teacher Resources
Standards-aligned lesson materials designed for classroom use, including data-driven activities and guided exploration.
Creator Frameworks
Tools and templates that enable educators and scientists to develop their own field-based learning experiences.
About OEI
Ocean Education Initiative creates immersive learning experiences grounded in real ecosystems and scientific work.
We focus on how science is done, how data is collected, and how people interact with the natural world so students can move beyond memorization and engage with science as a process.
Fieldwork in progress
OEI has completed initial fieldwork for its first virtual field experience in the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Bocas del Polochic of Guatemala.
Current work is focused on organizing field observations, building the experience, and developing the supporting classroom materials.
Our First Virtual Field Trip
Our first field experience is based in the Bocas del Polochic region of Guatemala and focuses on river and wetland ecosystems.
Students explore how water moves through these systems, how habitats form, and how those conditions shape where different species live. The experience also looks at how these ecosystems support both wildlife and local communities.
This experience includes:
360° scenes from real locations
observations and explanations from the field
data students can explore
a clear storyline that guides the experience
a teacher guide designed for a single class period
To connect learners everywhere to real science through immersive, field-based virtual experiences.
Mission
A global community engaging with science through direct connection to ecosystems, data, and discovery.