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.

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.

A typical day starts with breakfast at 8:00 AM and the daily lecture on the beach at 9:00 AM. Around 10:30 AM students break up into their small groups to do excursions, lab work, and practical learning. Students eat lunch in their small groups. Students continue working in their small groups throughout the afternoon. On some days if students finish early, they can take some time off for R&R before dinner. At 5:30 PM everyone comes back together for dinner and the evening Bible Study and worship at 6:45 PM. At 7:30 we get together for some friendly volleyball, R&R, or cathcing up with homework for the next day.

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

The 2024 trip begins on March 28^th, 2024 and ends on April 6^th, 2024.

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.

A packing list will be sent to all students who have been accepted. You will need to bring your own snorkel gear, swim gear and other travel necessities. Don’t forget sunscreen!

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, earth falls out of orbit… 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, earth falls out of orbit… 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. 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.

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 lessons 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 Creative Director Charlotte at charlotte@evidence4faith.org to receive flyers to distribute and hang up. Beneath this FAQ are also posters you can download and print to post in your local community or church.