Partners in Environmental Education
We are fortunate to have many local partners eager to offer our students environmental education from recycling to protecting our stormwater with hands-on projects, in-field observations, and teaching kits.
Essential to Eco-Cycle’s mission is teaching the next generation about recycling and the environment. In the Green Star Schools program, local schools focus on waste reduction projects and composting in addition to traditional recycling, putting the students, teachers and staff at these schools at the cutting edge of resource conservation as they work toward Zero Waste.
Eco-Cycle can help schools implement environmental clubs, help schools integrate increased recycling and waste reduction, provide presentations, field trips, and many other activities to promote environmental stewardship.
With a focus on stormwater protection, this group provides hands on free programs for students that explain the importance of keeping stormwater clean along with an education on how the system work. Field activities include exploring Boulder Creek and St. Vrain Watersheds with your students through our GET TO KNOW YOUR H2O education programs.
Providing education and outreach to communities around stormwater pollution prevention, provide information and work with school groups to pursue hands-on activities around water conservation, stream clean-ups, and storm drainage
Alliance for Climate Education;
ACE’s mission is to educate high school students on the science behind climate change and inspire them to take action to curb global warming. ACE is committed to building a generational shift to solve climate change. We translate this lofty goal into tangible work through the ACE leadership ladder. By starting with education and small actions before moving up to major projects, ACE grooms leaders who are influencing peers and leading change.
Provides motivational presentations and training to jumpstart clubs and other activities. Assists in directing change agents to better protect people and the planet
Center for ReSource Conservation;
They are an environmental nonprofit with the mission to empower our community to conserve natural resources. They implement programs for the community through three divisions – Water, Energy, and Waste.
CU Museum of Natural History;
The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History’s five exhibition halls present natural and cultural wonders from Colorado, North America, and the world. The museum houses both long term as well as temporary exhibits to add interest and reason for regular visits. They have also done projects in collaboration with schools such as the
Seeds of Imagination project at Uni-Hill Elementary in Boulder.
Aside from their many exhibits and school programs, they will offer space to display projects that surface through ETAC.
Boulder County Parks and Open Space;
Whether a classroom visit or a field trip, Parks and Open Space can tailor a variety of free programs to enhance a variety of curriculum topics and meet a number of state and district standards for science, history and geography. Their focus is in natural science, food chains, eco-systems and local agriculture. Some program examples include their Living Map which can be brought to the classroom, Curriculum Kits, Walker Ranch School Days, their traveling exhibit called the Education Exhibit which focuses on geography and landforms of the county and life zones in the county.
Project Learning Tree is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12. The program has evolved over 35 years, beginning with concerns for the depletion of forests. Subjects vary from biodiversity to energy and society and curriculum that may be integrated into STEM programs and other national learning standards. Project Learning Tree aims to provide tools to students to face environmental issues of their future.
Through low cost curriculum materials for educators as well as training workshops, Project Learning Tree provides a variety of topics. The goal is to “grow stewardship student by student” which can specifically be seen in the module, “Places We Live”, where a bond between young citizens and their communities is fostered. Project Learning Tree also has grants to encourage learning projects for environmental neighborhood improvement projects.
Cal-Wood Education Center started with a couple wanting to expose nature to all children for a better understanding and responsibility to our environment. They have created a low-impact camp set within a remote mountain setting and have educators to give visitors a hands-on appreciation of the natural world. Specific themes may be requested, such as geology and rocks which abound throughout the site and events include not only day time hikes, but also moon-lit walks for a well-rounded outdoor education. Cal-Wood believes in living up to its appreciation for nature by integrating low-impact methods wherever they can as see in the simplicity of their camp as well as in the composting and recycling and their water use chart which is available for all to gauge the overall use at the camp.
Cal-Wood provides school groups with residential environmental education programs at their private 1,200-acre outdoor learning center for trips ranging from one to five days throughout the year. Team building activities are provided as well as outdoor education curriculum that is designed in collaboration with the visiting teachers. Grants are available to ensure that no student is excluded.
Connecting students to nature, Thorne provides a “joyful” hands-on approach to environmental education with a goal to provide Earth stewardship. The In-School Program is offered to students of multiple grades for a continuity of learning from year to year.
Thorne offers classes and summer camps at their facility as well as In-School Programs for ages 3-15. The In-School Program has Thorne educators come to your school on three different visits for one hour each time to provide activities based on science and literacy. Explorations involve inquiry-based experiments, scientific instruments and specimens, and compiling a picture book of the experience. Grants are available.