The Junior Ocean Explorers (JOE) Summer Program is a continuous, 2 week, hands-on
marine science program for students in grades 3-6 interested in learning more about
our environment. Currently, it is only offered on St. Thomas; however, efforts are
underway to establish an equivalent JOE Summer Program experience for students on
St. Croix and St. John. JOE prioritizes teaching youth the basics and fundamentals
of swimming and snorkeling. Engaging youth at this age is pivotal to increasing their
interest in and curiosity within the marine sciences.
REGISTRATION FOR THE 2025 JOE SUMMER PROGRAM IS NOW OPEN.
Registration can be accessed by clicking
REGISTER Interested applicants are encouraged to review the information found below, prior
to registering to better understand how the JOE Summer Program operates.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE JUNIOR OCEAN EXPLORERS SUMMER PROGRAM
Students are assisted by program staff to learn the fundamentals of swimming which
starts with activities such as 1) Combined leg and arm motions, 2) Floating, and 3)
Submerging their heads underwater.
Students practice their snorkeling skills in a safe environment which enables them
to feel more comfortable exploring our oceans. All snorkeling gear is provided for
students to use during the program.
Students learn how to identify common marine invertebrates such as this friendly cushion
sea star. Knowing what animals live in our waters as well as those that could pose
harm are important Water safety skills covered during the Junior Ocean Explorers Program.
Students enrolled in the Junior Ocean Explorers Summer Program to learn the basics
of painting and can build upon their artistic foundation to better understand marine
life in our oceans.
Students in JOE assist UVI researchers with important research efforts to better protect
and understand our natural resources. Here, students are collecting health data on
mangrove seedlings that will be used for restoring our coastlines.
Looking for more marine science fun this summer? Students who previously participated
in the JOE Summer Program can seamlessly progress into the Youth Ocean Explorers (YOE) Summer Program. YOE, which is open to students in grades 7-12 (ages 12-18), is a 4-week experience
that enables students to expand upon their understanding of marine science and STEM
career pathways. Students can also earn their PADI (Professional Association of Diving
Instructors) open water scuba certification during the program.
JOE SUMMER PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Within this section, you can learn more about 1) Elligibity requirements for students
interested in attending JOE, 2) What the overal program structure is like for both
students and mentors, and 3) Important information on the registration, payment, and
cancellation processes.
Howard Forbes Jr. (M.Sc.) - JOE Program Director
Jarvon Stout - JOE Program Coordinator
Amber Knight - Water Safety Instructor
Zoe Banfield - Water Safety Instructor
JOE Mentors - This could be you!
First preference is given to youth from and/or currently residing in the Virgin Islands
On average, 15 students are selected to particpate each summer.
Applicant should meet either of the below criteria to be eligible to participate:
Applicant was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Applicant currently attends a school in the U.S. Virgin Islands (public, private,
parochial, or homeschool),
Applicant has ties to the U. S. Virgin Islands through their immediate family, i.e.
parent(s) are from the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is usually for cases where the applicant
used to or no longer lives in the territory but may visit during the summer months.
Open to youth in grades 3-6 (ages 6-11).
Should have an interest in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics).
Should have an interest in being in the outdoors (ocean, forests, nature, etc.).
Student MUST be able to attend the entire Session they registered for. Spaces are limited each
year, so please plan your vacations accordingly if you wish to apply.
The Junior Ocean Explorers Summer Program and by extension our team is committed to
increasing the representation of marginalized groups/communities within the geosciences
(which includes marine science).
The Ocean Explorers Summer Programs utilize the ocean as the lens through which we
teach youth about marine science and its associated career paths.
The Youth Ocean Explorers Summer Program is supported by the National Science Foundation's
INCLUDES Program, specifically theS.E.A.S. (Supporting Emerging Aquatic Scientists Program) Islands Alliance Program. Through this pathway program, which can begin with the Ocean Explorers Summer Programs,
provides youth with a unique perspective on the field of marine science by highlighting
career opportunities within STEAM, direct engagement in local environmental issues,
and professional development opportunities. This is a research study that utilizes
surveys and in-person interviews to gain valuable feedback from students and parents
about how the program has impacted their family; particaption is optional but is valued
as it only serves to improve the program for future cohorts of students.
The 2025 Junior Ocean Explorers Summer Program will take place from June 2 - 13.
At this time, the JOE Summer Program is only offered on St. Thomas.
Students meet daily at UVI's Marine Science Center from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Snacks and other refreshments will be provided; selected students should bring their
own meals each day. (Please be sure to indicate ALL known allergies of the applicant (if applicable) when applying).
Housing is not provided as this is NOT an overnight program.
Selected applicants will receive a rashguard and/or t-shirt they can wear throughout
the program.
Each day, applicants are encouraged to wear clothing that is comfortable for a tropical
climate (shorts + t-shirt + shoes).
For water-based activities, rashguards and water shoes are recommended; students can
wear non-JOE rashguards as well.
Hats are provided; however, students can wear other hats if preferred. As we are in
a tropical climate, students are encouraged to wear a hat when outdoors as well as
apply reef-safe sunscreen.
JOE mentors assist the team with the facilitation of the program's activities.
Mentors can receive Emergency First Responder (EFR) training prior to the start of
the program.
Selected mentors receive a monetary stipend at the conclusion of the program.
Stipend amounts vary based on the students current education level (High School /
Undergraduate / Graduate) and available funding for that year.
Registration for JOE opens each year onJANUARY and closes firmly onAPRIL 1.
Your application consists of two parts: thePARENT APPLICATIONand theSTUDENT APPLICATION. Both are required and should be received no later thanAPRIL 1.
TheSTUDENT APPLICATIONshould be completed by the applicant; guidance may be sought. However, the answers
provided to the questions contained in that application should reflect the student's
own words (i.e. do not copy and paste language derived from online sources or CHAT
GPT).
Completed applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; once your application
has been reviewed, you will be notified via the E-mail address provided in your application.
From there, you can then proceed with processing payment for the sessions selected.
Additional forms such as media releases and liability waivers will be shared with
selected applicants prior to the start date of the program; please check your E-mail
regularly as to not miss any important program information.
A one-time registration fee of $300; payment should be received no later than May
1st, 2025.
Your registration is not complete until payment or the completed scholarship application
have been received.
Payment can be made in person or over the phone with the cashiers at the Orville E.
Kean (St. Thomas) UVI Campus (340-693-1437); forms of payment accepted include cash,
check, or credit card.
Scholarships are available for students who currently attend school in the U.S. Virgin
Islands and can either be full or partial.
Full scholarships are available for students who currently attend a public school
in the USVI.
Partial scholarships are available for students who currently attend a private, parochial,
or home schooling in the USVI.
Selected scholarship awardees for the 2025 Junior Ocean Explorers Summer Program must
volunteer at a minimum of 1 community service event hosted by eitherVIMAS,VI-EPSCoR, orDPNRbeforeDECEMBER 31of the year the scholarship was awarded. Additional information about these events
will be shared both during and after the program concludes.
You can register for a scholarship by clicking HERE. The application consists of one short essay that the applicant should complete no
later thanMay1st, 2025.
Students can withdraw prior to the start date of the program to receive a refund if:
1 month or less to the start date of the program > half refund of all monies paid
to date.
More than 1 month to the start of the program > full refund of all monies paid to
date.
"I clicked the "APPLY" button and am now on a page where I am being asked to enroll
at the University." - Unfortunately, theAPPLYbutton found on the right side of this page is a standard feature on all UVI webpages
and cannot be removed. If you click on that button, simply hit the "BACK" button on
your browser to return to this page. Registration for the JOE Summer Program can be
found below.
"I submitted an application but did not receive an E-mail notification." - Upon submitting an application, you should receive an automatic notification
stating,
Thank you for submitting an application to take part in the Junior Ocean Explorers
Summer Program. This is confirmation that your Parent Application has been received. Please note that your application is NOT complete until you submit the Student Assessment
Form. Should you have any questions or concerns in the interim, please do not hesitate
to contact Program Director Howard Forbes Jr. @ 340-693-1674 (howard.forbes@uvi.edu)..
A follow up E-mail will be sent to update you on your application status.
"I wanted to apply for a scholarship. How do I do that?" - Our team will E-mail selected applicants with information on how to register
for a scholarship; please check your E-mail as to not miss these updates.
"When do I process payment?" If you have been selected to participate in the JOE Summer Program, an E-mail will
be sent to you with specific instructions on how you can process payment with the
University's Cashier's Office. Please check your E-mail as to not miss any important
updates.
"Why is this program only offered on St. Thomas?" These programs require a substantial amount of funding and personnel support to
operate sufficiently. Currently, our operating budget only allows for us to coordinate
this program on St. Thomas, though we are actively working on ways to obtain additional
sources of funding. To offer these programs at the price we do requires external funding
support; otherwise the registration fee which is currently at $200 will instead reflect
the actual programmatic costs (~$1,000/child) which is not feasible for most USVI
families.
REGISTATION FOR THE 2025 JOE SUMMER PROGRAM IS NOR OPEN.
This portion of the JOE application process should be completed by the parent or legal
guardian and provides our team with important information such as the applicant's
t-shirt / shoe size, known allergies, and emergency contact information. Both the
Parent and Student Applications are required. Estimated time to complete ~ 5 minutes.
This last component of the JOE application should be completed by the applicant. It
contains 2 short essay questions that will provide our team with a better understanding
of an applicant's interest in the program and STEM. Both the Parent and Student Applications
are required. Estimated time to complete ~ 1 - 2 hours.
If you are interested in being a mentor or swim instructor for JOE, complete this
application to join our team. Previous mentors have included high school, undergraduate,
and graduate level students. Mentors assist with day-to-day activities, provide guidance
and support to student participants, and are paid for their time.
