WAVE on Wheels Community Outreach
WAVE on Wheels takes the incredible aquatic and scaley animals of Newport Aquarium to you! Programs are structured around your event size and welfare of the animals, so please read carefully when selecting a program to find the best option for your event. There is also an opportunity for your program to be completely or partially covered by Community Outreach Scholarship Funds. The application for these funds is included when scheduling an animal ambassador visit. Please contact Rachel Morgan via email or over the phone at (859) 815-1441 for guidance on scheduling a program.
Small Group
Connect your group to animal ambassadors in the classroom for grades K-5, senior centers, and community groups! These educational, up-close encounters align with NGSS and OH state standards for science and can accommodate 50 participants at a time for up to 1 hour. Depending on animal needs, participants may have an opportunity to touch an animal ambassador.
Tidepool School
Crabs and conchs and sea stars – oh my! Connect with creatures that thrive in the rocky and ever-changing environments of tide pools and learn what adaptations help them survive.
Booking starts at $400
Reptile Roundup
What makes a reptile a reptile? Compare and contrast the different types of reptiles while meeting 2-3 animal ambassadors, ranging from snakes, lizards, turtles, and tortoises.
Booking starts at $400
Stingray Studies
Glide into discovery! Learn about stingrays amazing adaptations, how they compare to sharks, and how students can take conservation action.
Booking starts at $500
Shark Conservation
It’s always Shark Week here! Participants meet Coral Catsharks, learn about conservation efforts and how they can take action.
Booking starts at $500
Penguin Pals
Thrill your participants with an African Penguin! Attendees will dive deep into learning about penguin predators, diet, habitats, and natural history.
Touch opportunity unavailable for this program.
Booking starts at $500
Programs Above are Available as Virtual or Preschool Programs Too!
Virtual Program
Interactive distance learning programs are now available! All programs are 45 minutes in length and will be conducted through Teams. These programs will feature a live-stream of our animal ambassadors, feature artifacts, and give the guests opportunities to ask questions. WAVE Foundation will email you a link for the connection once your registration is confirmed.
All programs starting at $200
Preschool Program
These 30 minute programs are perfect for little minds! We adapt our Small Group programs to engage and connect with your students. We can accommodate up to 30 people in these programs. Depending on animal needs, participants may have an opportunity to touch an animal ambassador.
Tidepool School and Reptile Roundup starting at $250
Silly Stingrays, Shark Sleuths and Penguin Pals starting at $350
Middle and High School Small Group
Connect your older students to animal ambassadors in the classroom! These educational, up-close encounters align with NGSS and OH state standards for science and can accommodate 50 participants at a time up to 1 hour. Depending on animal needs, participants may have an opportunity to touch an animal ambassador.
Please note this program is a different format than the Assembly Program
Oil in the Ocean
The MV Treasure has experienced an oil spill and need your students’ help to save the African penguins! Students will partake in a hands-on lesson focusing on penguin conservation either as a member of the rescue and cleanup team, education team, or communication team. They will present their findings and meet one of our ambassador penguins.
Touch opportunity unavailable for this program
Booking starts at $500
Aquarium Careers 101
Do your students know what it takes to work at an aquarium? Learn about the diversity of professions at Newport Aquarium, from animal care and scuba divers to marketing and volunteer opportunities.
You may request whichever animal ambassador you’d like for this program.
Booking starts at $500
Conservation Education
Love animals at the Aquarium and want to help their wild counterparts? WAVE will teach you how! Students learn about Species Survival Plans, how WAVE and Newport Aquarium work together for conservation, and what actions students can take in their everyday lives to save our wildlife.
You may request whichever animal ambassador you’d like for this program.
Booking starts at $500
Inquiry Investigators
Time to put your scientific skills to the test! Students will implement the scientific process working with an animal ambassador and natural stimuli to build observation skills, create their own experiment, form hypotheses, and draw conclusions.
You may request whichever animal ambassador you’d like for this program.
Booking starts at $500
Assembly Programs
Perfect for larger groups looking for a presentation, we are happy to accommodate up to 125 participants (includes school/venue staff). Assembly Programs are 45 minutes – 1 hour in length. For animal ambassador welfare, participants may not touch animals as part of assembly programs.
Shark Conservation
It’s always Shark Week here! Participants meet Coral Catsharks, learn about conservation efforts and how they can take action.
Booking starts at $500
Stingray Studies
Yellow Stingrays visit your school in a WAVE Ray Cart! Learn about how stingrays’ adaptations compare to sharks and how students can take conservation action.
Booking starts at $500
Penguin Pals
Bring an African Penguin to your school! Students will dive deep into learning about penguin adaptations that help them survive in the wild.
Booking starts at $500
Meet and Greet
Want to connect your audience with animals at your event? We are happy to be one of your stations. Guests can come up to our table, ask questions about our animal ambassadors, and learn about aquatic conservation. Programs are 1 hour in length.
Please note this program is a different format than the Assembly Program
Meet Tidepool Critters
Connect with creatures that thrive in the rocky and ever-changing environments of tide pools. Animal Ambassadors might include sea stars, urchins, horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, or conches.
Touch opportunities may be limited to the first 125 people.
Booking is $500 per hour
Meet Reptiles
Meet 3 animal ambassadors, and compare and contrast different types of reptiles. Possible animal ambassadors include snakes, lizards, turtles, and tortoises.
Touch opportunities may be limited to the first 125 people.
Booking is $500 per hour
Meet a Stingray
Yellow Stingrays visit your event in a WAVE Ray Cart! Learn about how stingrays’ adaptations compare to sharks and how to take conservation action.
Touch opportunities may be limited to the first 125 people.
Booking is $500 per hour
Meet a Shark
WAVE Shark Carts connect visitors with Coral Cat Sharks. Guests can learn about shark adaptations, WAVE and Newport conservation efforts, conservation in the wild, and how they can take action.
Touch opportunities may be limited to the first 125 people.
Booking is $500 per hour
Meet a Penguin
Bring an African Penguin to your event! Guests can dive deep into learning about penguin adaptations that help them survive in the wild.
Penguins will require 15 minutes to acclimate, then can viewed for a maximum of 45 minutes, before a 30 minute rest period in a quiet location.
Touch opportunity is unavailable for this program.
Booking is $500 per hour