The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk is always an adventure. Now, the adventure is coming to the classroom.

Children in Norwalk summer school will spend part of their time at the aquarium, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday.

"It's to get kids caught up. It's been such a tough year for kids. Online learning is nothing compared to hands-on," says Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.

Lamont says it's a hands-on way to get children caught up after a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to federal funding from the American Rescue Plan.

"The most thing I look forward to is the stingray feeding," says Abigail Choi, of Kent.

Daniel Gindea, a parent, says it's the kind of lesson his son has missed out on during the pandemic.

"It's been rough. We've been in this pod and not being able to do much, and not being able to get out and go to things like this," he says.

This year, the aquarium is hosting more than 700 summer school students.

"t's going to be a transformative experience for these kids," says Maritime Aquarium President and CEO Jason Pattis.

The free program will not only be available in Norwalk, but in other areas too.

The summer school classes start on July 5 and will run for about a month. For more information, click here.