Fish Friends Scholarship Application & Education Fund

FishFriends Logo 2-02About

The mission of the Oklahoma Aquarium is "to educate and inspire conservation of our aquatic world through interactive discovery." One of the many ways we accomplish this mission is through the generous support of donors to our Fish Friends Education Fund. The Fish Friends education fund eliminates the financial barriers to experiential learning by awarding scholarships for field trips.

Eligibility and Application For Field Trips

Any school, youth group, or nonprofit who cannot otherwise afford a field trip to the aquarium is welcome to apply for a field trip funded by a Fish Friends Scholarship. The scholarship will fund admission for all students and required chaperones as well as one educational program (if requested). Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis. Programs are only available on weekdays.*  

Group size and chaperone requirements:

  • Groups must bring a minimum of 20 students (some exceptions made for public or private schools).
  • For Pre-K-2nd grade (3-7 yrs) - 5:1 chaperone ratio required
  • For 3rd grade and older (8+ yrs) - 10:1 chaperone ratio required

*Due to COVID-19, we are only able to offer Inside Story!: Behind-the Scenes Tour (7th-12th grade only) at this time.

How to Apply for field trip funding

Submit the online application (below) allowing for at least 5 business days to receive your award decision via email. If you are awarded the scholarship, the trip you've requested will be booked and you will receive an email confirmation with reservation details.

Fill out the application here.*

*Please allow up to 5 business days to receive email confirmation from our education department.


Eligibility and application for Summer Camps

**REGISTRATION FOR 2021 SUMMER CAMPS IS NOW CLOSED**

Finances should never be a barrier for children and teens who want to learn. This is why our Fish Friends Summer Camp Scholarship is open to any child who needs financial assistance and wants to participate in camp. Thus, any child/teen who meets the age requirements for their desired camp (7-11 for Summer Seafari; 12-16 for Marine Biologist for a Day) is eligible to apply. The scholarship covers the $100 fee to participate in camp. Scholarship availability is limited by camp capacity.

How to Apply

The application is due at least 7 days before the desired camp date. We will send an award decision via email within 5 business days of receiving a complete application.* 

*A complete application consists of:

  1. A completed online form, including a statement from the student on why they want to participate in camp
  2. A letter of recommendation from a school teacher or other adult mentor (e.g. coach, music instructor, etc.) sent via email to education@okaquarium.org

Thank you to our lead Donors

  • In Honor of Oskar Singer’s Bar Mitzvah
  • AT&T
  • Bank of Oklahoma
  • The Boeing Company
  • ConocoPhillips
  • The George Kaiser Family Foundation
  • Hardesty Family Foundation, Inc.
  • The Hille Foundation
  • The Williams Foundation

To make a donation to our Fish Friends Education Fund, please email our Director of Education and Research, Ann Money, at amoney@okaquarium.org.

Questions

If you have questions about applying for a Fish Friends Scholarship, please contact the education department at education@okaquarium.org.