The Summer Science Program for the first through ninth grades is conducted annually. It offers a curriculum of underwater archaeology, environmental ecology, and endangered species to elementary and middle school grades. Courses are taught by school teachers and marine science professionals. Scholarships are available for disadvantaged students. The Junior Sailing Program , another summer program, for students between eight and fifteen years old, offers two-week classes to certify students in sailing Optimist prams while building character and confidence.
Scholarships are available to disadvantaged students.
In Community Programs several special events are designed to highlight community culture and appeal to community participation. Programs are designed for youngsters, and family involvement is emphasized. The museum also participates in local and statewide decoy and seafood festivals, marine awareness conferences, and school special events. In Cooperative Programming the museum conducts underwater archaeology with East Carolina University, shares workshops in marine biology and ecology with the Duke University Marine Laboratory and the NOAA, and conducts programs with North Carolina Sea Grant and North Carolina Marine Fisheries. The Cape Lookout Studies Program involves youth and the elderly in dolphin behavior and migration, turtle nesting statistics, and barrier island ecology.