On May 17 & 18^th the Island Inn sponsored a group of 4^th grade students from Tice Elementary School in Fort Myers, FL for the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum ‘Adopt-A-Class’ Program. For the first time with the program, the students were brought to the Island Inn’s beach for a beach walk! The students were able to have a personal experience on the beach along side Ambassadors form the Shell Museum, helping to expand on their morning spent at the museum.

The Adopt-A-Class program has four stations students rotate through at the Museum, including Educational Arts & Crafts, Live Touch Tank Demo & Experience, “Hands-On” Science, and a VIP Tour of the Museum’s Exhibits. As the students have been learning about Florida’s ecosystem and shells with their curriculum, this program gives them a chance to translate what they’ve been discussing in the classroom to real-world applications.

We hope the students gained a new appreciation for mollusks and the vital role they play in our ecosystem, both locally and globally.  We encourage these bright 4^th graders to be stewards of the environment and will continue to support programs that gain appreciation for the natural wonder and abundance of Sanibel Island and Lee County!