Aquarium on Wheels
National Aquarium in Baltimore

Few programs in the country combine art and science as creatively and effectively as Aquarium on Wheels (AOW), a yearlong enrichment and job-training program that uses theater to teach science and conservation to young audiences. Combining instruction in theater and science, 16 young adults transform science-based information into a fun, educational play, portraying everything from sharks to jellyfish. In partnership with the Enoch Pratt Library's Summer Reading Program, the AOW students perform their play for younger audiences throughout Baltimore's library system. These presentations "edu-tain" thousands of children every summer, teaching them about the Aquarium and the importance of environmental protection.

Providing a unique education and job-training experience, AOW recruits students from Baltimore City and Baltimore County Public Schools through a competitive selection process that involves an application, an essay, a letter of recommendation from a teacher, and an interview. By offering a stipend for both training and working, the program eliminates economic barriers and encourages underserved youth to apply. AOW also provides young people with positive role models in the fields of science and theater, stimulating their interest in higher education and professional careers.

The multifaceted program begins with classroom study and laboratory work, immersing students in basic scientific concepts and methods of conservation. The second phase focuses on the theater arts, where the students write an original play, create sets, and develop their performance abilities. Finally, they combine their newly acquired skills to present more than 40 performances of their 30-minute play at 21 branches of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. After each show, young people at the library are able to interact with live animals and aquatic artifacts in a Discovery Lab.

AOW students also test their training and skills by working as visitor guides in the Aquarium's galleries. Throughout this process, participating students develop positive attitudes about science and learning, strengthen their written language skills, act as leaders and mentors, and practice responsible and professional work behavior.

Through an innovative program design and a model partnership between an aquarium and local libraries, Aquarium on Wheels develops creative, engaged, skilled, and confident teenagers who care about their community and the natural world around them.