The National Seashore's Environmental Education division is a member of the Informal Science Educators Association (ISEA), and is designed to introduce classes of school children to the Padre Island natural environment. We offer programs for all ages, from kindergarten to high school, which have been designed to meet Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements. Park rangers can conduct the programs at the National Seashore or at your school/institution, and lessons can be modified to meet the needs of individual groups. To find out more, read the environmental education manual and contact the park's Education Specialist at (361) 949-8068.
When scheduling programs at the National Seashore, please contact us at least two weeks in advance. You will need to provide a point of contact for the school (usually the leader of the group coming to the park), the number of students attending, the ages of the students, and whether any members of the group have special needs (i.e., wheelchairs, visually-impaired etc.).
Groups coming to the park for environmental education programs do not have to pay an entrance fee, but they must obtain a fee waiver from the park prior to their visit. To obtain a fee waiver, contact the park's Education Specialist. Fee waivers are granted only to recognized educational institutions. Fee waiver requests must be on the school/institution's letterhead and faxed to (361) 949-9951 after scheduling a lesson. Fee waiver requests will need to mention:
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School/Institution Name
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Number of students and adults attending
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Number of vehicles coming to the park
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Expected arrival time and date
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School/Institution point of contact
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Purpose of visit
Please note that school teachers are eligible for a 20% discount at the Malaquite Visitor Center bookstore.
