CHICAGO (CBS) — The Shedd Aquarium announced Friday that it is diving into a new education initiative.
The aquarium said it will soon break ground on a new structure just steps from the galleries. The Morgridge Family Lakeside Learning Studios – set to open in 2026 – will feature “flexible, vibrant classrooms” that will host animal encounters and aquatic exploration, according to a news release.
Students may one day be able to look directly into the eyes of a scream-footed turtle; another day of virtual chatting with researchers working in the Caribbean, the Great Lakes or Latin America; and on another day, still building insect hotels for bees and monarch butterflies, the aquarium said.
The new facility will allow the aquarium to accommodate more school groups and reach up to 50,000 additional students per year, the aquarium said.
The Shedd is also redesigning new, bilingual and science-focused galleries. Two of them – Wonder of Water and Amazon Rising – will open this year, the aquarium said.
“Shedd Aquarium is one of our district’s great and long-standing community partners,” Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said in the release. “We are pleased with the aquarium’s commitment to welcoming more CPS students each year for hands-on learning and awe-inspiring exhibits and events. These new investments and this important focus on environmental education will only continue to expand opportunities and education for our students .”
Furthermore, the aquarium is expanding its remote programming, reaching out directly to classrooms and communities and drawing students into nature.
More than 25 programs for K-12 students – inside and outside of schools – will combine nature-based experiences with hands-on science education, the aquarium said. The youth will test and compare the water in local lagoons with aquarium habitats, conduct field research to identify insects and seedlings of native plants to help with environmental restoration, or urge local restaurants to eliminate plastic waste reduce, according to the aquarium.
“Every young person in Chicago should experience the wonder of the water world without barriers – everything from planting native seedlings along the shores of Lake Michigan to kayaking on the Chicago River or counting the suckers of an octopus here at Shedd Aquarium,” Lisa Junkin-Lopez, vice president of Learning & Community at the Shedd Aquarium, said in the release. “By expanding access to environmental education, we can empower Chicago’s next generation to be the changemakers for tomorrow blue future.”
The aquarium is also launching a focus on equity in science learning — specifically, better serving communities in the ethnic city’s South and West Side neighborhoods, which bear the brunt of some of the worst environmental problems.
“Historically, not all Chicagoans have taken advantage of all that our city has to offer,” said Ald. Lamont Robinson (4th) said in the release. “I am proud that institutions like Shedd Aquarium in the 4th Ward are taking steps to correct these disparities and provide all Chicago students with meaningful opportunities to learn about and be inspired by the world around them.”
The program is part of the aquarium’s Centennial Commitment, which aims to improve access and connection to nature and management opportunities for all. In 2030, The Shedd will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
