The reserve’s education program provides hands-on, investigative field experiences and curriculum, provides multi-exposure opportunities to all audiences, links education programs to local research, emphasizes the interrelationships of coastal habitats and human activities, addresses local, regional, and national issues, maintains programs at no-cost to low cost to all participants, and increases understanding of the reserve system.

The Reserve’s K-5 grade field-based education programs provide an introduction to a wide variety of estuarine environments and support aspects of the meaningful Chesapeake Bay experience.  Elementary school program themes include oyster restoration, shallow water habitats, and finfish and shellfish investigations.  

The reserve’s field-based education programs for middle and high school students are designed to address Virginia Standards of Learning in an applied context. Field programs include wading, canoe, and/or boat field trips focused on specific themes such as oyster restoration, shallow water habitats, marsh dynamics, finfish, shellfish and crustacean investigations, and water quality. 

Reserve staff conduct summer teacher training workshops to provide teachers new insight into the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.  Topics for teacher workshops include water quality, habitat restoration, estuarine aquarium keeping, schoolyard habitat, and curriculum training.

The general public education programs provided by the Reserve include programs at York River State Park, Tour of the Reserves canoe trips, Estuaries Day, Dragon Run Day, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science's Marine Science Day.