Not many Maine school kids get to swim with dolphins, snorkel on a coral reef or visit a sea turtle hospital. But hopefully in May 2016, thirteen Boothbay Region Elementary School students, chaperoned by four or five adults, will get a chance to do those three things and more.

Judy Calhoun-Dorr, technology coordinator at BRES, is coordinating a fundraising campaign to bring a group of BRES students to Florida next spring through the "Splash into Science" program offered by World Strides DiscoverNow! organization.

"Teacher Kathy Hartley and parents Amy Blake and Sara Yentsch will be going and assisting in the fundraising," said Dorr, who coordinated a similar trip when she was a classroom teacher at BRES in the 1990s.

"We plan on raising all the money needed for the trip," said Dorr, who didn't provide the amount of money needed to be raised but said, "it is a lot."

Fundraising activities have been discussed at meetings and the group hopes to begin raising funds for the trip this summer. The "Splash into Science" group plans on holding car washes, raffles, and offering the students' services doing yard work and more. There will also be a bottle and can redemption bin at M T Redemption on Route 27 set up for the group's fundraising. Dorr said the group will also accept donations for the trip.

Checks can be made out to Splash into Science and mailed to: Boothbay Region Elementary School, 238 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538.

"We're trying to get involved at some upcoming events and we will be serving breakfast during the Harbor Fest event in September," Dorr said.

Dorr said the trip fits in well with the seventh grade science curriculum. Besides the swimming with the dolphins, snorkling and visiting the sea turtle hospital, other parts of the trip include kayaking through mangroves, visiting the Florida Everglades and more. All of the events are led by World Strides guides.

"We'll be doing a lot of things to raise the money, so the public should be on the lookout for our events," Dorr said.