Undergraduate students from Stetson University recently took part in a one-of-a-kind learning experience and will be featured in an upcoming documentary, “Postcards from Canaveral.”

Led by Stetson Professor Nathan Wolek, PhD, the students partnered with blind and partially sighted youth to create audio tours for the National Park Service at Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The documentary premiere, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. on Sept. 26, at the Atlantic Center for the Arts (1414 Art Center Ave., New Smyrna Beach, Florida).

“Postcards from Canaveral” tells the story of the Young Sound Seekers program, a five-year collaboration between Stetson University, the Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired in Daytona Beach and Atlantic Center for the Arts. The program was supported by a $300,000 grant from the National Park Service’s Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division to promote accessibility and conservation nationwide.

Alongside Professor Wolek, students captured audio recordings of natural sounds as an archive of the park’s ecosystem, providing a sensory tour that shares greater understanding of wildlife communication and the health benefits of time spent outdoors. While on these excursions, mentorship between the Stetson students and Conklin Davis youth included writing the audio tour script and recording voice-over narration, which further strengthened community partnership and bolstered confidence for those with visual impairment, offering a unique experiential learning opportunity.

“When we started Young Sound Seekers, I knew there would be new opportunities for both community engagement and research,” said Wolek, a professor of Digital Arts and Music Technology at Stetson and a two-time Fulbright scholar. “What I did not expect was the variety of ways it would shape our learning.”

Through the project, the Young Sound Seekers group designed innovative media arts, such as an audio-described version of the visitor brochure for Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The group also provided consultation to the National Park Service to increase the accessibility of its website content, produced accessible audio tours for the park’s mobile app, and pioneered a curriculum of educational activities on active listening and natural sounds that was published by the park service’s Interpretation and Education Division.

“Before you knew it, we had all this content to share, and we made some real contributions to the park and broader community,” Wolek added. “This documentary is the latest in that series of media projects, and by developing it in collaboration with our Stetson students and the kids from Conklin Davis, everyone learned, including me.”

Viewers of “Postcards from Canaveral” will not only see a story of collaboration, empowerment, and respect for nature, but will also see Stetson University’s commitment to growing community relationships and sharing real-world, experiential learning with its students.

The trailer for the film is available on the Young Sound Seekers’ Instagram account. Following the premiere, “Postcards from Canaveral” will be available for viewing at the Apollo Beach Visitor Center at Canaveral National Seashore (7611 Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach, Fla.).