Maritime Aquarium Unveils New Learning Center For Toddlers

NORWALK, CT — The Maritime Aquarium unveiled its new Sea & Discover Zone, a STEM-focused learning center for toddlers and preschoolers, during a ribbon cutting event Wednesday morning.

As he welcomed guests that included Mayor Harry Rilling, State Sen. Majority Leader Bob Duff and Norwalk Public Schools Superintendent Alexandra Estrella to the new space, Maritime Aquarium CEO Jason Patlis made note of the learning center's long journey to completion.

"This is really pretty exciting, because this is two years in the making," Patlis said. "That's a long time."

Located on the aquarium's second floor near the meerkat exhibit, the Sea & Discover Zone was designed in accordance with the state's early learning and development standards.

According to the aquarium, the learning center offers preschoolers and toddlers the opportunity to explore the aquatic world through books, artifacts, live animals, dramatic play and simple scientific tools.

"This space in particular is dedicated to our youngest guests," Patlis said, "our toddlers and our preschoolers. Before this, we really did not have any space dedicated to that age demographic, and you can see the kids really enjoying the space now."

Rilling complimented everyone involved in the space's design and opening, and said he was honored to have the Maritime Aquarium located in Norwalk.

"When you bring young people in," Rilling said, "and you provide them an opportunity of experiential learning, which is the easiest way or the fastest way to learn and to have an appreciation for our sound, our beaches [and] where we're located, they're probably going to be coming here for 30 or 40 years because they're going to have such a great time."

Patlies noted the attention to detail that went into designing this new educational space, which features tanks with live animals along the wall that children can view from inside. Even the carpet subtly represents, through colors, a journey from the beach to the deep ocean.

"This space is not just about entertaining kids," Patlis said. "It teaches them the heart and soul of what we do here at the aquarium. It teaches them about the animals and critters, but also how to care for the animals and critters."

The center is made up of three distinct areas: a beach zone with books and comfortable reading nooks under a colorful mural, an ocean zone with objects for play and a mock coral reef and a science lab with tools to examine shells, feathers, fur and other items.

Duff said the center is both a space where kids can learn without even realizing it and a place that can help them become good stewards of the environment.

"So the next time they go to the beach," Duff said, "the next time they see some litter or the next time they maybe see a fish or some sort of aquatic life, they may think about what they learned here at the Maritime Aquarium, and it may inspire them to be great environmental stewards because of what they learned here at the aquarium."

Jonathan Gibson, director of the Maritime Odyssey Preschool in South Norwalk, thanked the aquarium for creating an innovative and imaginative play space for toddlers and preschoolers.

The aquarium is a partner of the Odyssey Preschool and welcomed one of the schools' classes to the Sea & Discover Zone on Wednesday, where they took part in a story time activity in celebration of national Read Across America Day.

"We're so proud that we played a part in inspiring the aquarium to build this play space," Gibson said. "While I am amazed by this play space, I am not surprised, because we know the aquarium to be a world-class leading institution of learning and an emergent leader in the field of early childhood education and a parter with the Odyssey."

Estrella took a moment to celebrate the close relationship between Norwalk Public Schools and the aquarium's education department.

"Today opens the door to another opportunity for our students to immerse themselves in great learning," Estrella said, "and take the learning experience from the classroom to the real world and look at how sciences apply throughout everything we do in life. The Maritime Aquarium is no better place for us to continue to enhance those experiences."

According to the aquarium, the learning center will also be home to "Fish Tales," a free and interactive story time for toddlers, led by an aquarium early childhood educator, that includes songs, rhymes, dance and even visits from live animals each Friday at 10:30 a.m. Fish Tales are also free with admission.

The Sea & Discover Zone is free with aquarium admission. Further information can be found at www.maritimeaquarium.org.