Homeschool Days
For Sarasota children, the Gulf is not simply a postcard view beyond the mangroves.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
For Sarasota children, the Gulf is not simply a postcard view beyond the mangroves. It is a living classroom—one that rewards close observation, curious questions and the occasional willingness to get your hands wet. Homeschool Days at Mote Science Education Aquarium invites young learners to step into that classroom this fall, with marine science presented not as a distant academic subject but as something tangible, local and full of wonder.
Designed for homeschool students ages 6 to 14, the program offers engaging, hands-on opportunities to explore Mote research and the science of the sea. Rather than asking children to absorb information passively, the sessions are built around discovery: examining the natural world, investigating how marine ecosystems function and considering the work scientists do to understand and protect them. For families who have made learning more flexible and experiential, the format offers a welcome bridge between home education and Sarasota’s deep culture of environmental inquiry.
The program is structured to meet children where they are, with monthly classes for students ages 6–9, students ages 10–14 and a mixed-age option for families with children across the full 6–14 range. That flexibility matters in a homeschooling community, where siblings may learn together even when their interests and developmental stages differ. All fall-semester Homeschool Day programs will take place in the afternoons, leaving the morning open for a slower start, a visit to the beach or a family exploration of Sarasota’s other cultural offerings.
Mote Science Education Aquarium, known as Mote SEA, extends the mission of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium into a new generation of learning. Its setting at University Town Center places marine science within easy reach of families throughout Sarasota and the surrounding region, while its educational programming reflects the area’s longstanding relationship with the Gulf, its wildlife and the scientists working to safeguard both. A visit here can make the connections between research, conservation and everyday life feel immediate—especially for children who have grown up watching seabirds along the bay or spotting dolphins offshore.
The next Homeschool Day takes place Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Mote Science Education Aquarium, 225 University Town Center Drive in Sarasota. Families can look forward to an afternoon of marine discovery shaped for young minds and grounded in the waters just beyond the city.