Our Educational Philosophy for Interns
Classroom
The Dolphin Dreams Images internship program is primarily a "hands on" program. For the most part, we do not require our interns to do a lot of "book work". Some exceptions are the SCUBA courses, but even in these instances, much of the actual work with the textbook is self-paced, independent study and this can be done before you come to Hawaii. Those that choose to participate in SCUBA certification programs are expected to read the materials in advance and complete the knowledge reviews that are located in the books. After you are selected for the internship program and decide you would like to participate in our certification program, we will send you the textbooks or make accommodations for this to be done online with the "e-learning" program. When you arrive on the island, we will go over the knowledge reviews with you to determine if there are any areas of weakness. If there are, we prescriptively teach to those areas that you may not fully understand. This is the best use of time. There is no point in lecturing to you about topics you have demonstrated an understanding of. Once the knowledge reviews are complete, we usually administer a written examination. In most cases, only a 70 % score is required to "pass", but any questions you missed will be discussed with you until you understand the correct answer.
Pool / Ocean
Our goal is to get you into the water as soon as possible (if this is what you want to do). This is why it is desirable for you to do the independent study before you come to Hawaii (if possible). We practice a "Dive Today" philosophy and most of the entry-level SCUBA courses we teach allow us to put you in the pool or ocean (shallow depths) the first day. We will teach you some basic skills and allow you to "test drive" the SCUBA gear under the direct supervision of an Open Water SCUBA Instructor. For most people, this experience is all the motivation they need to complete their independent study.
Hands on
Our video and photo production business is dynamic. There is production work to do every day. We plan to involve you in these activities right away. Similarly, we are in a constant state of snorkel and dive planning as well as gear preparation and maintenance. Our intent is to give you valuable experience with all phases of our operation; from video and photo production work to snorkeling and SCUBA diving.
