CIMI Trip

Every year, a group of 7th grade students and teacher chaperones go to Catalina Island Marine Institute's Toyon Bay campus for a week of science. Students leave Sunday night via charter bus to the piers of Long Beach where they take a charter boat to Catalina Island. Students live on the island for the week while they immerse themselves in the world of oceanography. 

Throughout the week, students are able to learn about different components of oceanography. Students learn:

• the importance of sharks to the ocean
• how plankton is the basis of the food chain.
• the vital role of algae in the ocean world. 
• how the stars are important to the ocean
• the characteristics of invertebrates
• the life cycle of a squid (as they complete a squid dissection)
• different types of fish that call the ocean their home

Through the week, students are able to see the importance of all parts of the ocean biome. Toyon Bay has a number of touch tanks (shark, invertebrate, and algae), as well as aquariums, that allows the camper to get an up-close experience.

Students also are involved in a number of adventure style activities through the week. These include:

• Up to four different snorkels that allow the student to see ocean life in their natural environment. During the night snorkel students are able to see first hand the chemical reaction of plankton to produce light through bioluminescence. 
• kayking in the bay
• challenging themself to the 12-lane climbing wall. 
• take in the ecology of the island during an island hike

How does my child get chosen to go on the CIMI trip? 

• Students fill out an interest survey in their science class (week of September 16). Students must be in good academic standing (good grades) and have no behavioral issues to be invited for the trip.
• All interested students are put into a drawing for the available spots on the trip (22 boys and 22 girls).
• Drawing is held to choose the official participant list.

If my child doesn't get drawn, what can they do?

Students who are still interested in the trip need to come to the lunchtime meetings. If students drop from the trip the replacement is chosen from the pool of waiting list students who are actively still involved with CIMI. A special drawing will be held to replace students who drop.

Prior to the trip, what does my child have to do?

There will be lunch meetings that students need to attend throughout the weeks leading up to our trip. These meetings serve as our way to communicate with the students about key information. They also allow the students to meet others going on the trip, so that they start forming friendships. There will also be a mandatory parent meeting prior to the trip where parents will fill out important paperwork and make last preparations for the trip.