Education
Adults
Meet others who share your passion for the natural world.
Enjoy an evening social with your friends during a Right Bite dinner. Roll up your pant legs for a sunrise excursion on a local waterway. Discover how your daily living can positively impact the natural world. Even dedicate yourself to learning something new.
Together, we can make a difference.
Sailing 101
Explore Lake Michigan! Set sail and get a crash course on the how-to’s of this ”silent sport.” While on the water, observe the natural beauty of this aquatic ecosystem and discover how water, animals and humans are all connected.
This program meets at Belmont Harbor.
Saturday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
$65 a person ($60 Shedd members)
To register, e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org or call 312-692-3206.
Field programs are sponsored by the Sara Lee Foundation.
Right Bite Shuck and Slurp at Shaw’s Crab House
Shuck, slurp and indulge in sustainable oysters at Shaw’s Crab House, then learn more about these tasty treats as you mingle with other Right Bite-minded adults. Wine and themed giveaway included!
Sept. 15, 6 to 8 p.m.
$40 a person ($35 Shedd members)
To register, e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org or call 312-692-3206
Eco-Socials
Dive into current hot topics surrounding aquatic ecosystems and our natural world. Engage in thought-provoking discussions, demonstrations and themed activities hosted in the aquarium galleries.
Oct. 22―Oil Spill!
What’s the science behind oil spills—the damage and the solutions? Meet the people at Shedd who have been in the frontlines of recovery efforts, from the Exxon Valdez spill up to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
6 to 9 p.m. (5:30 to 6 p.m. open exploration for registered guests)
$30 a person ($25 Shedd members)
Includes appetizers and two drink tickets (cash bar available)
To register, e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org or call 312-692-3206
Underwater Photography in the Caribbean Reef
Uncover your personal way to leave a positive impact on the natural world through the art of underwater photography. You’ll earn PADI digital underwater photography certification and test your new skills with a dive among the animals in the Caribbean Reef exhibit! Extend the experience with pre-course PADI materials and post-course Project Aware resources.
Participants must be scuba certified. Personal camera equipment is recommended. Scuba gear and cameras are available for rent.
Class: Saturday, Nov. 13, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dive: Monday, Nov. 15, or Thursday, Nov. 18, 6 to 9 p.m.
$415 a person ($395 Shedd members)
To register, e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org or call 312-692-3206
Right Bite Dinner at Robert Morris University Institute of Culinary Arts
Get in the kitchen to help prepare part of a sustainable seafood dinner at Robert Morris University Institute of Culinary Arts. Work alongside a university chef and learn, prepare and dine on an environmentally friendly menu of appetizers, entrees, wine and desserts created exclusively for this event. Right Bite-themed giveaway included!
Nov. 11, 6 to 9 p.m.
$50 a person ($45 Shedd members)
To register, e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org or call 312-692-3206
Professional Training Seminars
Join Shedd’s experienced professionals in exploring leading trends in animal training and animal health. With more than 32,000 animals, including invertebrates, fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals, Shedd’s world-renowned facility offers an extraordinary working environment for these unique professional development experiences. 
Animal Health with Dr. Ilze Berzins
Discover Shedd’s approach to one of the last frontiers of veterinary medicine — aquatic animal medicine. This course will provide an extensive overview of the major groups of aquatic animals found in public aquariums and the programs established to ensure their health. Exclusive tours through Shedd’s state-of-the-art animal hospital and hands-on lab work will complete this experience.
Key topics include basic anatomy and physiology, major disease issues, how to diagnose problems (including the use of blood tests, radiographs and ultrasound), career opportunities and conservation medicine.
Animal Training Seminar with Ken Ramirez
Learn industry-leading animal training techniques,with unique access to Shedd’s diverse animal collection. These training methods can be adapted to any species, from marine mammals and a host of terrestrial exotic animals to pet dogs and cats.
Key topics include animal intelligence, human emotion and anthropomorphism, basic operant conditioning,informal interactions, husbandry training, social groups,advanced training techniques, aggression, advanced training games, problem-solving techniques and complex training.
Monday–Friday, Sept. 20–24, 2010
Early registration fee: $1,275 (before June 9, 2010)
Regular registration fee: $1,500
Graduate credits are available through Western Illinois University
and must be arranged prior to seminar
Seminar fees include:
• Morning and afternoon coffee breaks
• Lunch each day
• Two social dinners (Wednesday and Friday)
• Two optional working dinners (Tuesday and Thursday)
• Course materials and exams
• Personal consultation time with instructors
• Admission to aquarium, Oceanarium, Wild Reef and Polar Play Zone
• Animal Training textbook by Ken Ramirez (Animal Training seminar only)
• Field trip to Chicago green facilities (Conservation Awareness seminar only)
To register, e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org
Sushi-Making Class and Right Bite Tour
Explore your talent for sushi rolling with experts from Plitt Seafood Company. They will lead you through the steps of creating your own sustainable seafood sushi and award prizes to the best “chefs”! Then join Shedd staff members for an aquarium tour to see fishes that play an important role in our Right Bite program. End the evening with coffee and themed desserts.
Sake, chopsticks and rolling mats included
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list for news about upcoming programs.
Right Bite Dinner at Uncommon Ground
Mingle in the garden and enjoy an adult evening. The menu begins with appetizers and wine on Chicago’s first certified-organic roof-top garden (weather permitting) and continues with a sustainable seafood dinner created exclusively for this event. Coupled with dessert and a meet-and-greet with Shedd’s horticulturist Christine Nye, this is an evening you will not want to miss! Program includes a "green" garden tool kit.
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.
Come aboard Shedd Aquarium’s research vessel for a nine-day conservation adventure on land and sea! Throughout this trip, you’ll be guided by Shedd’s experts, who will share their vast knowledge of Exuma’s incredible reef/island ecosystem.
You’ll take part in biodiversity and reef surveys, which give you a chance to snorkel with schooling fishes, explore mangrove forests and view mysterious underwater caves. All along, you’ll enjoy less-traveled Bahamian islands and see native birds, reptiles and other wildlife during guided walks. You’ll get up close and personal with rare iguanas as you assist with a day and a half of field research. You’ll also work with an Exumas Cay Land and Sea Park warden on a local stewardship project.
Participants help set the itinerary based on their interests!
The trip begins and ends in Nassau.
The cost is $2,195 (not including airfare), with discounts for returning participants, Shedd members and Shedd volunteers.
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list for news about upcoming programs.
Photos and Videos
Check out photos and video of Shedd's amazing animals on our Flickr group pool and YouTube page. Share with others and add your own!
