Spark curiosity across science, art, humanities, and technology by using the Shaw Institute as an active site for student inquiry, making, and community impact.
As part of the Oceans to Orbits initiative between Blue Hill Peninsula schools and the Shaw Institute, we are inviting faculty across disciplines to think about ways your classes might connect with the project during the 2026–27 school year.
The big themes of the initiative are intentionally broad: space exploration, our relationship to land and water, environmental stewardship, sustainability, observation, research, and imagining possible futures. These ideas can be approached through science and art, but also through history, literature and writing, social studies, math, media, technology, or creative combinations of disciplines.
More than a display space
The Shaw Institute can be much more than a place to display finished work; faculty can use it as an active site for inquiry, research, experimentation, and creation throughout the year. Your class might engage with the project by collecting or visualizing data, documenting local environmental changes, conducting interviews or oral histories, creating artwork, maps, photos, or videos, writing essays or speculative stories, building models, producing audio projects, or creating something entirely new.
Projects do not need to begin as a plan for polished exhibition pieces. Works in progress, experiments, research, documentation, and evolving projects are all welcome. Classes can visit the Institute during the year and contribute to the growing Oceans to Orbits Artistic Inquiry Lab, with exciting opportunities to share the work students produce through their coursework in our evolving exhibition.
Culminating in a global celebration
The year-long project will culminate in a June exhibition around World Oceans Day, giving students the opportunity to see their work become part of a larger conversation connecting research, creativity, our local environment, and the wider world.
Get Involved: Interested in building something into your curriculum? Reach out to Educational Programming Manager Dani Rodriguez to talk through an idea, arrange a class visit to the Shaw Institute, or coordinate adding student work to the rotating exhibition.
Support future initiatives
Community-driven efforts like Oceans to Orbits are made possible through the generosity of donors and supporters. Contributions to the Shaw Institute allow us to continue hosting transformative events, conducting vital environmental research, and empowering local youth to meet modern challenges with grace, resilience, and fresh perspectives. To support our mission and help inspire the next generation of changemakers, please consider making a donation to the Shaw Institute today.
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Hero photo taken by Elijah Vollendorf.