Online programs

Orcas in the Salish Sea - Online ocean courses for kids title slide

New Course! Orcas in the Salish Sea

In this free course, you will dive into the rich culture of the Coast Salish Peoples, explore the fascinating world of orcas and the Southern Resident Killer Whales, and uncover species at risk. By the end, you will have learnt how to become an effective environmental steward and make a real difference in protecting our ocean.

Teacher Resources: Orcas in the Salish Sea

A big thank you to Prince of Whales for sponsoring this adventure!

Get your kids engaged and learning with Sea Smart’s online programs! Our online courses are a great supplement to your child's education. Suited for grades 3 - 9.

What is Ocean Defender?

Ocean Defender is Sea Smart’s series of online courses for students to follow at home. Carefully designed and developed by Sea Smart’s team of environmental educators, Ocean Defender courses help students foster critical thinking skills and encourage them to make connections between scientific knowledge and the natural world.

Students grades 3 - 9 start their journey to become an Ocean Defender through a series of interactive and engaging virtual lessons. Through a number of hands-on activities, your child will learn all about the amazing animals that live in our ocean, the different threats they face, and what we can do to protect them.

Thank you to Tides Canada Foundation - Land-Based Wellness Fund for funding the establishment of this program.

young boy doing online course on a tablet.

About Ocean Defender

  • What to expect

    When you enroll your child into Sea Smart’s online courses, you’ll be provided all the resources they’ll need to make their way through the course, keeping your kids engaged and learning.

    Each course includes: video lessons, activities, games, and more!

    Each course is composed of multiple (5-8) units

    Each unit takes approximately 1 - 2 hours for kids to complete at their own pace.

  • Learning Benefits

    Ocean Defender courses help students foster critical thinking skills and encourage them to make connections between scientific knowledge and the natural world.

    Hands-on, engaging content

    Flexible and adaptable

    Accessible to all learners

    Inspires students to be community leaders

  • Pricing

    Each Ocean Defender course costs $50, and you will have unlimited access to this course to complete it at your own time.

    We want to help families as much as possible and remove financial barriers to participation. If participating in this program is cost-prohibitive, we can offer bursaries.

    Please email programs@seasmartschool.com to inquire about our bursary program.

Available courses

  • Species at Risk online course

    Species at Risk (Grades 3-8) - CURRENTLY FREE!

    Are you ready to take on the challenge to become an environmental steward who strives to help species at risk? Learn what it means to be a species at risk and the actions you can take to reduce threats to aquatic life.

    This interactive course includes videos, quizzes, activities, and games. Download the workbook and follow along to become an Ocean Defender!

  • Sea Sketchers online course

    Sea Sketchers (Grades 4-9) - $50

    Calling all young artists! Join scientist and illustrator, Julius Csotonyi, as he shows you how to draw 6 awesome sea animals. Learn how to draw whales, octopuses, sea stars, turtles, and birds in these detailed step-by-step drawing lessons!

    Each lesson comes with a 45-minute video that shows step-by-step how to draw each of the six different underwater creatures.

  • Awesome Animals online course

    Awesome Animals (Grades 3-8) - $50

    In this course, kids will learn about different marine animals, how they communicate, what they eat, and where they live. We’ll cover how we can help protect the ocean and its animals through everyday actions.

    Includes a combination of videos, interactive games, colouring books, print and draw animals, quizzes, and more!

  • Marine biologist in training online course

    Marine Biologist in Training (Grades 4-9) - $50

    Students in this program will learn about marine ecology, scientific research, and careers in marine sciences. It’s a great opportunity to develop skills in research, project development, and critical thinking.

    Includes fun online games and videos, activities, and a print-at-home workbook. Developed by our very own Dr. E, marine biologist!

  • Orcas in the Salish Sea

    Ocras in the Salish Sea (Grades 3-8) - CURRENTLY FREE!

    In this course, you will dive into the rich culture of the Coast Salish Peoples, explore the fascinating world of orcas and the Southern Resident Killer Whales, and uncover species at risk. By the end, you will have learnt how to become an effective environmental steward and make a real difference in protecting our ocean.

    Teacher Resources: Orcas in the Salish Sea

    A big thank you to Prince of Whales for sponsoring this adventure!

Did you know that Sea Smart also offers school programs? Let your child’s teacher know!

Fill out this form to request Sea Smart programs in your school!