Last week Montessori Center School fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students set out on a voyage spending three days at the Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI) in the Channel Islands.

As part of the school’s approach to educational outings, MCS Upper Elementary students (grades 4-6) rotate between attending three different camps during their time in the program.

In what has become a Montessori Center School tradition, at the start of each school year, the students alternate between Astrocamp, CIMI, and NatureBridge Institute in Yosemite.

CIMI focuses on marine science education, giving students learning opportunities that cannot be obtained in a regular classroom setting. The focus on working collaboratively in labs and during projects and games creates a great deal of team building among the children.

CIMI instructors use the natural land and sea environments of Catalina Island to inspire minds and create excitement about science.

During their three-day program, MCS students and teachers were able to gain first-hand experience of the varied Southern California flora and fauna found in the ocean that surrounds the island.

All of the camps are specifically designed to inspire students toward success in their academic and personal growth, which is aligned with the Montessori approach to learning.

“We at MCS believe these types of trips contribute greatly to our school mission,” said Melanie Jacobs, MCS head of school.

“Outdoor experiences like this reinforce learning across so many areas of the curriculum and encourages young people to take ownership and great responsibility for their own education, of which Montessori is a great proponent,” she said.

Montessori Center School, on Fairview Avenue in Goleta, has provided students ages 18 months through 12 years with creative and compelling education in a supportive, nurturing environment.

MCS implements the internationally renowned Montessori Method of teaching.

— Alyssa Morris for Montessori Center School.