HOMESCHOOL EXPEDITIONS

 

Sign Up For Fall Session

Overview

10 weekly field days per session (spring & fall)
Shem Creek

Out here, the classroom doesn’t have walls. It has tides. Birdsong. Pluff mud between your toes. We believe children learn best with the sun on their face and a paddle in hand—when they’re given the freedom to get curious, to get messy, to fall in love with the natural world.

With Charleston homeschool students, we’re raising the next generation of stewards, scientists, and saltwater explorers. Our homeschool adventures are grounded in place—shaped by the rhythms of barrier islands, saltwater creeks, and the sounds of migrating birds overhead.

Weekly Activities

Rooted in South Carolina’s grade-level science standards, each week explores a new theme—like barrier island ecology, tides and wind, water safety, marine biology, and environmental stewardship. For older students, we introduce paddling skills through guided kayak and paddleboard sessions.

Our classroom is the coast. Depending on tides and weather, we launch weekly from our Shem Creek campus to places like Morris Island and Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary. When the weather keeps us indoors, we shift gears—working on hands-on, nature-based projects in our learning lab.

A few of the weekly adventures:

  • Fossil hunting along ancient shorelines

  • Dip netting and marine species identification

  • Kayaking and paddleboarding for 4th–8th grades

  • Salt marsh scavenger hunts

  • Owl pellet dissection and wildlife biology

  • Pollinator garden planting and care

  • Coastal litter sweeps with a purpose

Why We Love It

When kids grow up knowing the names of birds and how to read tides, they grow up knowing they belong to something bigger.  And the research shows that kids who have a connection to the outdoors are calmer, happier and more focused- for their lifetimes.

 

Rates & Details

$550
Families signing up more than one child: $25 discount
(A 50% deposit is due at time of booking)

 

8/18-10/20
Mondays
11am-2pm
Ages 11-14
8/19-10/21
Tuesdays
11am-2pm
Ages 5-8
8/20-10/22
Wednesdays
11am-2pm
Ages 7-10

 

 

See Dates & Sign Up!
Camps, Charleston Camps, Mount Pleasant Camps, Kayaking camp, fishing camp
Bulls Island Quest Field Trips give students a place to explore in nature
Coastal Explorers Camp, Coastal Expeditions Camp, Charleston Summer Camp, Shem Creek camp

DEPARTURE POINT

Coastal Expeditions at Shem Creek
514 Mill Street
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

See On Map
Field Trips Inquiry, Charleston Field Trips, Ecotour Field Trips, Bulls Island Field Trips, Shem Creek Field Trips

What To Pack & Wear

Kids should be dressed for the weather, including a hat to protect from the sun. Even if it is warm, a windbreaker is recommended for the boat ride. Wear shoes that can get wet and will stay on their feet (Tevas/Chacos/sneakers). 

Bring water, snack, towel and sunscreen in a small bag or backpack. Just in case, pack a change of clothes.

Guide Safety & Training

All Coastal Expeditions guides hold certifications in first aid, CPR and lifeguarding. As year-round leaders of day camps and school field trips, our staff is well-trained to keep safety at the forefront.  As part of protocol,, children wear PFDs while they are on each daily expedition.

Our captains hold 100-ton master captain licenses from the USCG.  Coastal Expeditions boats are custom-built vessels that receive yearly inspections from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Cancellation & Weather Policy

There is a 30-day cancellation policy for summer camps at Coastal Expeditions.

This is a rain-or-shine program, but certain weather conditions (i.e. hurricanes or tropical storms) may cause us to cancel.