Gift Expands MarineQuest Programs for Local Students

UNCW MarineQuest has received a generous gift from Michael and Barbara Barton to expand its successful Coast-to-Classroom sponsored programming to surrounding counties, to launch a 4^th grade field trip to the UNCW Center for Marine Science and to introduce new after-school opportunities for local students.

“We are thrilled to receive this generous gift from the Bartons,” said MarineQuest Director Erin Moran. “We offer many summer programs and year-round academic enrichment opportunities for kids, but typically these programs are funded by parents or schools that can afford it, leaving others without access to our programming. This gift will enable us to expand our Coast-to-Classroom program to Title I schools, offer new afterschool programming free of charge, and bring 4^th graders in New Hanover County’s title 1 schools to the Center for Marine Science.”

Michael Barton graduated from UNCW in 1968, and he and his wife, Barbara, relocated to Wilmington after retirement. Regular trips to the dock overlooking the waterway, paddling to area islands, and time spent on their boat have reaffirmed their commitment to preserving the region’s natural habitats and inspired them to help young people develop a similar passion for marine conservation.

Programs supported by the Bartons’ gift include:

Coast-to-Classroom – MarineQuest’s traveling program brings hands-on marine science into K–12 classrooms. In 2024, nearly 2,000 third-graders in Title I New Hanover County Schools participated in the marine debris sea turtle necropsy program, which teaches students about conservation. The new funding will allow MarineQuest to expand the program to Title I schools in surrounding counties.

CMS Field Trip – A new initiative will give all NHCS fourth-grade students the opportunity to visit UNCW’s Center for Marine Science, building on the third-grade Coast-to-Classroom experience and preparing students for the countywide Masonboro.org fifth-grade program with Carolina Ocean Studies.

Afterschool Science Programming – MarineQuest offers after-school STEM programs designed to help students prepare science fair projects and explore scientific inquiry. The Bartons’ gift will support a new aquaculture program launching this spring, with free participation and transportation for schools in need.

For 45 years, UNCW MarineQuest has provided dynamic learning opportunities that help pre-K–12 students explore, discover and value coastal environments as they grow into environmentally responsible adults. For information on summer camps and school-year programs, please visit the MarineQuest website.