If you are encountering a technical issues with making your deposit or paying your final bill, please contact info@evidence4faith.org for assistance.

You can sign up to our waitlist by clicking here (select “Marine Biology (Waitlist)”).

Terms and conditions may be reviewed on the Marine Biology Terms and Conditions page.

You must fill out and submit an application AND submit your $250 deposit.

We do not take applications for volunteers. The Marine Biology trip is run by a core staff of skilled volunteers who have been invited to be a part of the trip. New volunteers are invited on the recommendation of our core staff, often after training under a core staff member and demonstrating good character, teamwork, and reliability. Volunteers are assessed by our Executive Director and must abide by our terms and conditions and statement of faith. Teaching volunteers need to have taken and passed the course, worked as a teaching assistant, and be evaluated by a teaching supervisor to be considered. A background or education in Marine Biology or a biology-related field isn’t always necessary but it is helpful. Volunteers can be on task from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM at night.

Students and staff stay at the Gulf View Waterfront Resort. Lectures, meals, R&R, and studying are done on the hotel property. Students are not permitted to leave the hotel grounds without supervision. Depending on the size of our group, we sometimes share the grounds with other hotel guests. You can see more about the Gulf View Waterfront Resort at their website.

Hotel rooms are either set-up as a traditional hotel room with a queen size bed and private bath/shower or a larger apartment-style room with private bath/shower and kitchen (rooms with a kitchen are used for students to prepare their daily meals). All hotel rooms with queen sized beds are assigned with the expectation that two students will share the queen size bed (this keeps costs down for students). It is unlikely you will get your own bed. Students are assigned to rooms based on biological sex and only share beds and bathrooms with individuals of the same biological sex.

The Marine Biology trip is a class and not a vacation. There will be designated times for rest and shopping. To receive full credit, students are expected to participate in the full schedule.

• 8:00 AM Breakfast & Announcements (chores are assigned to help with set-up and clean-up)
• 9:00 AM Lecture
• 10:30 AM Break-up into habitat groups to go on excursions, work on labs or classwork.
• 12:30 PM Lunch with Habitat groups
• 1:00 PM Stay with habitat groups for excursions, lab work, or classwork.
• 5:30 PM Dinner & Announcements (chores are assigned to help with set-up and clean-up)
• 6:45 Evening worship and Bible Session on the beach
• 8:00 PM Volleyball, Lab or class work, or R&R (discretion is given to group instructors for what their students need)
• 11:00 PM Curfew

Some days include special group excursions such as the Aquarium Encounters experience and the reef snorkel with Captain Hook’s.

The 2025 trip begins on April 9th, 2026 and ends on April 18th, 2026.

We will all meet at Miami Airport on the first day (see Trip Details & Deadlines) and leave as a group on a bus by 2:00 PM. You are responsible for booking your flights to and from Miami Airport. Plan to arrive before 2:00 PM. Students will be notified of staff and instructor flight information if they wish to travel together. Transportation from the airport is covered by the Program Fees.

We will bus everyone to Miami Airport by 2:00 PM on the last day (see Trip Details & Deadlines). Do not schedule your departure flight until after 2:00 PM. Transport to the airport is included in the Program Fees.

An itemized packing list will be sent to all students who have been accepted. Some items you will need to include are:

• Clothes and toiletries for 9 days
• Snorkel gear and fins (TEST YOUR SNORKEL GEAR BEFORE ATTENDING, no rentals are available). It is not always recommended to buy snorkel gear second hand as heavily used snorkels may not fit properly and the seal may have deteriorated. Buy the snorkel gear you can afford and test it in a pool or tub before attending. We will be providing a snorkel lesson on-site but your gear must be in good working order.
• Two (2) Swim suits
• Beach towel
• Sunscreen (try to get reef safe sunscreen if you can)
• Sunshirts or fishing shirts (these will help prevent sunburn and keep you cool)
• Hat and sunglasses
• Colored pencils and pens for taking notes in your lab book
• A Bible (if you have one)

You can make travel arrangements as soon as you are accepted in the program. You may choose to fly, drive, or use any other means of transportation to meet up with the group at the Miami airport. If you are buying a plane ticket, we recommend you get a refundable ticket or travel insurance in case travel plans need to be changed at the last minute (weather, sickness, cancelation… etc.).

Travel insurance is not required. We encourage those flying to consider travel insurance in case travel plans need to be changed at the last minute (weather, sickness, cancelation… etc.) and your ticket is not refundable.

The Program fees cover all activity fees, boat rides, meals on site, housing, transportation, an official t-shirt, and all instructional material. The final meal at a seafood restaurant is not included in the program fees (we suggest you budget $15-$30 but it will be up to you to decide how much you would like to eat). An optional official sweatshirt can be purchased separately (usually about $30 but pricing may vary year to year). There will also be an opportunity to shop for souvenirs. You will also need to pack your own snorkel gear and swim suits. No rental equipment will be available

Your transportation between your home and the Miami airport are not covered in the program fees. You do not have to fly, some choose to drive. The final meal at a seafood restaurant is not included in the program fees (we suggest you budget $15-$30 but it will be up to you to decide how much you would like to eat). An optional official sweatshirt can be purchased separately (usually about $30 but pricing may vary year to year). There will also be an opportunity to shop for souvenirs. You will also need to pack your own snorkel gear and swim suits. No rental equipment will be available.

If you have been accepted, the program deposit is not refundable. Anything paid above and beyond the program deposit may qualify for a refund. If you are accepted and choose not to attend before the Final Payment Due Date (see Trip Details & Deadlines), you will be eligible for a partial refund as determined by our registration staff as funds are already invested in the trip. Cancellations made after the Final Payment Due Date (see Trip Details & Deadlines) will have severely limited refund amounts as funds are invested in the trip and your activities, room, and board reservations have been settled. If you must cancel after the Final Payment Due Date (see Trip Details & Deadlines) we recommend you find someone to fill your spot.

If funds are available, we are sometimes able to offer scholarships. Scholarships are partial. We do not offer full ride scholarships. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need. To inquire about scholarship availability or start an application, contact Denise Lane at denise@evidence4faith.org.

Sponsorships are used to cover global operational expenses related to the Marine Biology program to reduce program fees for all students in the program. We do not offer individual student sponsorships. However, students are free to raise funds by their own means to cover their Program Fees (whether through private gifts, sponsorships, or entrepreneurial endeavors). If you are interested in becoming an official program sponsor, you can find out more in the Become a Trip Sponsor section.

We cannot accept any exchange of goods or services as payment for program fees. Program fees must be paid with cash, credit, or check. Program fees cover most of your costs. The rest of your costs are covered by generous sponsors and unpaid volunteers who are giving of their own time and financial resources to deliver an excellent program. This program is designed to be accessible to as many people as possible and no further discounts are possible. If you have a demonstrated financial need, you can start a scholarship application (see scholarships FAQ above).

This program was originally developed when our Executive Director, Michael Lane, taught in the public school system (Reed-Custer High School) in Illinois and received a North Central accreditation. As the program is no longer being run under an educational institution and to keep the trip affordable, Evidence 4 Faith has not sought any accreditation.

The program currently uses the Wisconsin Standards for Science (WSS).

The Executive Director, Michael Lane, is the primary instructor and program manager. He is the only licensed instructor and has kept his teaching credentials up to date. There are 4-5 assistant teachers whose qualifications include B.S. or M.A. in biological sciences and/or additional extensive training under our primary licensed instructor Michael Lane over several years. Assistant teachers each have a student assistant to help in various capacities such as maintaining the research area and helping students get prepared for the next activity. Student assistants do not teach. Student assistants are students from a previous class who have received an A in the course and are invited back as a staff member.

Credit is not standardized since the program is no longer accredited. A transcript is issued at successful completion of the course and is mailed to the school the student attends. Credit can be achieved through the Guidance Department of a public school where, most often, a Carnegie Unit can be obtained. Because this program involves over 100+ hours of on-task time and reading, most schools have little difficulty in allowing the student who successfully completes the course to obtain a semester’s credit in advanced biological science. On rare occasions, some public schools have counted this course as a full year course of credit. Research students (second year) can typically also obtain a Carnegie unit from their school upon successful completion.

Some college students have obtained college credit through their college or university, the nature of which is determined by the registrar of said school. Credits achieved this way usually range from 4-5 hours of credit as an elective. One some occasions, universities have offered 7-10 hours of credit in the field of education for students who serve as Student Teachers. They prepare lesson plans, lecture, and keep a journal as required by the Education Department of the said school they attend. Please contact our Executive Director Michael Lane at michael@evidence4faith.org if you are looking for student teaching experience.

Some schools have refused to offer credit due to the religious nature of Evidence 4 Faith. In this case we suggest that the transcript still be placed in the student file for evidence of attending an extracurricular academic program. Colleges and Universities will be able to see this in the student’s file, and it can have an impact scholarship considerations and honors.

The mode of credit depends on the administrator of the homeschool setting but it is easily achieved. A transcript is issued at successful completion of the course and is mailed to the homeschool administrator (in most cases this would likely be a parent). Transcripts are usually counted as a semester credit in biological sciences. It should be noted that this program is a lab-oriented program. Thus, for homeschool students, this course can count as a lab credit. It is not unusual for some homeschool administrators to apply for a Carnegie Unit as well. Homeschool administrators are responsible for documenting the credit for graduation.

You can share this program page digitally through an email list, or contact our Business Manager Julia Shoppach at julia@evidence4faith.org to receive flyers to distribute.