Family Programs
Fall Programs
Exploring Oyster Ecology
-Shell-ebrate NC Oyster Month with us from 3:30- 5 pm on October 29, 2025!
Exploring Oyster Ecology is an educational opportunity for families with children ages 5 and older. Instructors will lead the public in a fun, interactive lesson about oysters and their vital role in our estuaries. Participants will get an up–close look at live oysters, investigate the organisms they interact with, and play games, too! This program is open to the public with limited availability on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost is $10/person.
Contact Lauren Kerlin at kerlinl22@ecu.edu or 252-475-5451 with questions, and scroll toward the bottom of the page for more information about registration and our cancellation policy.
Winter Programs
Maritime Mysteries
Check back soon for future offerings.
Maritime Mysteries is an educational opportunity for families with children aged 7 and older. Instructors will lead the public in a fun, interactive lesson on North Carolina’s rich maritime history and the methods used to study it. Participants will examine evidence and use investigative thinking to discover the identity of a lost vessel.
Spring Programs
Feathered Friends
Check back soon for future offerings.
Get ready for birding season with us in our Feathered Friends family program! Designed for young students ages 5 and up and their adults to participate in together, this program is a fun and interactive opportunity that will introduce the fascinating world of birds at the coast. We’ll cover it all — spotting, identifying, and crafting! Join us as we discuss bird behavior, learn easy bird identification tips, head outdoors for an exciting birdwatching adventure, and get hands-on with a DIY bird feeder!
Marsh wren photo courtesy of Jeff Lewis.
Coastal Cultivators
Check back soon for future offerings.
Coastal Cultivators is an educational opportunity for families to learn about sustainability on the coast, native plants, and coastal landscaping. Using the Outer Banks and CSI’s campus as examples, this program will explore what it means to garden and landscape with sustainability in mind and send participants home with a decorated recycled planter and a North Carolina native plant seedling to add to their own garden.
Summer Programs
Evening in the Estuary
Check back soon for future offerings.
Help us celebrate the start of summer with an evening on the water! The Coastal Studies Institute will once again offer Evening in the Estuary, an on-the-water educational experience for families. Evening in the Estuary programs include a boat ride through the Croatan Sound to a marsh island to wade the shallow waters, survey the sandy shores, and explore the grassy uplands. Participants will learn about estuarine ecology, investigate plant and animal adaptations, seine for critters, and more.
Registration Information
ECU’s Continuing and Professional Education facilitates the registration process for Family Programs and other CSI offerings such as Summer Camps, Soundside Science Scouts, and Tours. Their online registration system requires users to create an account for easy checkout. To expedite the registration process, we recommend that users set up their account before registering for a program or camp. Use the buttons below to explore CPE’s webpage for CSI programs and view a user’s guide to create a new account.
For questions or concerns about the registration process, please contact Continuing and Professional Education at 252-328-9198 or cpe@ecu.edu.
Cancellation Policy
CSI Family Programs follow the policies and guidelines set by Continuing and Professional Education, including the information provided below. For a full explanation of policies, please visit cpe.ecu.edu/registration/policies-procedures/.
If CPE cancels a course, you will receive full reimbursement of the course fee or you may request a tuition transfer to another course within a 12-month period. When selecting a different course, participants will be responsible for any difference in tuition cost at the time of the request or in some cases a participant may receive a credit on file.
Course registration is complete once payment is received. Course fees are payable in advance. Registration is not complete and will not be confirmed until we receive full payment. All registration fees must be paid prior to attending the course. If payment has not been received by the deadline, registrations will be canceled.
To request a refund, participants must submit a course withdrawal request electronically to cpe@ecu.edu at least 10 business days prior to the program start date. Participants may choose to transfer into another course in lieu of a refund, provided space is available in the other course. If the request to transfer is received 2 weeks before the course begins, there will be no charge to complete the transfer. If the request is received less than 2 weeks before the start of a course, there will be a late transfer fee of $50.
If a participant is unable to attend a face-to-face or residential course, they may request a refund or transfer to another course. They may also request a substitution. Unless otherwise noted on the program registration page, the deadline for canceling a registration is 10 business days prior to the course start date. If the Office of Continuing and Professional Education receives notification by email at cpe@ecu.edu or by mail before the deadline, it will:
- Reschedule the student in a future course, or
- Refund the course fees (minus $25.00 administrative fee).
Requests received beyond the deadline will receive no refund.
Please include the participant’s full name and address, registration details for the course to be canceled (i.e., course code, title, and dates), whether the request is to reschedule or receive a refund, and a daytime phone number where the Office of Continuing and Professional Education can contact the participant or company contact for billing questions.
Based at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) advances inter-disciplinary marine energy solutions across UNC System partner colleges of engineering at NC State University, UNC Charlotte, and NC A&T University. Click on the links below for more information.
ECU's Integrated Coastal Programs (ECU ICP) is a leader in coastal and marine research, education, and engagement. ECU ICP includes the Coastal Studies Institute, ECU's Department of Coastal Studies, and ECU Diving and Water Safety.
The ECU Outer Banks campus is home to the Coastal Studies Institute.
