By Tracy McCormick-Dishman
Every classroom at Durbin Creek Elementary School adopted a marine animal this year as part of a new partnership between the school’s Parent Teacher Organization and the Florida Aquarium, believed to be the first program of its kind at a Florida school.
The “Adopt an Animal” program brings hands-on conservation education into every classroom at Durbin Creek Elementary, St. Johns County’s largest VPK through fifth grade school. The program also serves as a fundraiser for the school amid public school budget cuts. The partnership was organized by Chantelle Gauthier, the PTO’s co-president and Partners in Learning coordinator, working with Jamie Whitehurst of the Florida Aquarium and Principal Ashley McCormick.
Gauthier said the idea grew out of a summer spent developing a new enrichment program for the school, beginning with outreach to Whitehurst and continuing through several video meetings. Just before the school year began, Gauthier and her two sons visited The Florida Aquarium in person to meet Whitehurst while returning from a family trip to South Florida.
Under the program, each classroom raised funds to adopt its own marine animal for a year-long enrichment program. The identity of each classroom’s animal was kept secret from students until an official reveal on Adoption Day.
The program kicked off Monday, Aug. 24, with a special message from aquarium animal caretakers during the school’s morning news broadcast. Sponsorship opportunities for each classroom’s animal went live that day through the Cheddar Up platform, with families given two weeks to sponsor their classroom’s animal. Families also received exclusive animal videos through ParentSquare, while keeping their classroom’s animal a secret from students.
Classrooms officially learned which animal they adopted on Adoption Day, Tuesday, Sept. 8. Students viewed a video revealing their class’s animal and received a plush “class stuffy” version of the animal, along with a fact sheet and an adoption certificate.
Throughout the school year, classrooms will receive quarterly video updates from Florida Aquarium caretakers, with content tailored to each grade level’s curriculum.
