Water World (Grades 5-6)

May 2-7, 2010
Fort Worden State Park
Port Townsend, Washington

Register today!

“Centrum's Water World is a rich, integrated learning experience not to be missed! Workshops inspire careful observation and personal expression, fluidly melding creative and logical thinking skills. The  jam-packed week overflowed with excellent science labs---on the beach, at the pond, and in the Marine Science Center, sparking students’ curiosity and creativity.”
--Melinda Pongrey, 5th grade teacher

Water World, a collaboration between Centrum and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, is a full-immersion arts and science experience. The week is filled with activities and projects that expand and enhance elementary students’ experience of the marine world through the lenses of both science and art. 

In collaboration with artists, scientists, and peers from across the state, students integrate scientific investigations with creative writing, dance, and visual art. The result is a holistic and multi-faceted learning experience.

Students work in small groups that rotate through activities in the field as well as in laboratories, performance studios, and natural history exhibits. Each day offers a mix of both scientific and artistic workshops. The group size is small to allow for maximum personal attention and minimum impact on fragile environments.

Students find an octopus, sway like anemones, paint and draw, and get to know creatures of the sea—from gray whales to the smallest zooplankton. Exploring the beach, investigating a secluded pond, and visiting a lagoon teeming with marine life are also major parts of this experience.

Evening programs include Native American storytelling, activities at the Marine Science Center, and a student presentation on the final night, showcasing their new learning about marine ecosystems and their artistic creations.

Tuition, room and board is $460. Scholarships are available. For this program, student groups of four to six sign up with an adult chaperone. Groups may come from school districts, with teachers and school staff chaperoning, or they may be formed by parent committees looking for extra opportunities in the arts and sciences for their children. Tuition, room and board is free for chaperones.

Register today!

FACULTY

Darwin Nordin is an accomplished visual artist, whose work includes drawings, paintings and sculpture that reflect his fascination with nature. Darwin’s twenty-five-year career as a teaching artist is centered-around the creative process. He has worked collaboratively with poets, writers, actors, dancers, filmmakers and set designers. He has facilitated the creation of large mixed media artworks for organizations like The Seattle Children’s Museum, The Port of Seattle, The Pacific Northwest Ballet and The Museum of Glass. He is an arts integration consultant and provides professional development to teachers and teaching artists. 

Nisi Shawl is a Pacific Northwest-based writer. Primarily a short story author, Shawl also writes book reviews for the Seattle Times and Ms. Magazine. Her story collection FILTER HOUSE won the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and she has received two 2009 World Fantasy Award nominations.  Shawl was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and attended the Residential College of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She graduated from the Clarion West Writers Workshop in 1992.

The Seattle Times calls Christian Swenson a “one-man animal kingdom” and he’s known for his pioneering work in fusing dance, drama, and music for body and voice. Christian has performed and taught throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and Nepal. He was “The Monster” in the Minnesota Opera’s production of Frankenstein, has appeared at New York’s Lincoln Center, and has been featured with the New York Improvisation Festival with The Flying Karamazov Brother’s New Old Time Chautauqua. His work has also been featured on NPR.

Libby Palmer, the co-founder of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, was formerly Director of Operation SMART, a national program to encourage girls in math, science and technology.  Throughout her career, she has pursued the connections between science and the arts.  She specializes in outdoor field experiences that help young people and adults truly see and appreciate the natural world around them.  As a non-professional dancer, musician, videographer and writer, she encourages students to both explore and express their reflections on the natural world. Libby will be assisted by two PTMSC marine biology teachers.

Scientists from Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) engage and inspire people of all ages in understanding and protecting our coastal and marine environment. Through its various programs, the Center teaches respect for and stewardship of the myriad life forms in that environment. PTMSC creates active and involving educational experiences for groups, with a particular emphasis on youth. The Center also offers professional development and curriculum design for teachers. Through exhibits, programs, and publications featuring local marine and shoreline habitat, history, flora, and fauna, PTMSC encourages understanding of and participation in local, national, and international decisions impacting the marine and shoreline environment.

--

This program is generously funded by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Washington State Arts Commission, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Washington State Parks, the Baker Foundation, the Charlotte Martin Foundation, the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, PONCHO, the Sage Foundation, and thousands of individual donors whose generosity celebrates the power of creativity to change lives.