Environmental Education Programs

Each year, hundreds of students and their teachers from schools across Nebraska participate in hands-on, engaging environmental education programs and experiences with Nebraska 4-H Camps.

Environmental education is typically held September through November and March through May. These programs and experiences:

• use the outdoors as a stimulus for the appreciation of previously acquired skills, including the areas of reading and language arts, science, mathematics, art, health, physical education, and social studies.
• teach an appreciation, understanding, and awareness of the natural world by studying and interacting with that world.
• separate kids from their everyday setting in order to give them an opportunity to express new aspects of their personalities, achieve increased self-esteem, and gain a new perspective on how to relate to their peers.

Length

We offer both one-day and residential, overnight programs.

Delivery

Environmental education programs may be delivered by school teachers or by camp staff using a curriculum designed to utilize the strength of the setting in a highly experiential, hands-on format. 

Target

Environmental education programs are designed for the students in Kindergarten through 7th grade.

Activities

Additional outdoor education activities are available, including:

• Archery
• Astronomy
• Campfires
• Canoeing
• Fishing
• Global Positioning System (GPS)/Geocaching
• Group Cooperative Games
• Nature Study
• Nighttime Nature
• Group Team Building Challenges
• Pond Study

Educational Standards

Environmental education programs and experiences align with the Nebraska Science Standards of encouraging students to combine scientific processes, the nature of science, and knowledge with scientific reasoning and critical thinking to ask questions by planning, designing, and conducting experiments that lead to the development of explanations and evidence,

Students engage in cooperative learning and character development naturally by participating in environmental education programs and experiences that can be directly applied to their classrooms and can positively affect their school's climate by:

• giving students practice in developing important virtues, such as responsibility, at the same time they are learning academic material.
• building community by integrating every student and breaking down barriers.
• developing communication and perspective-taking skills, the ability to work as part of a team, and the appreciation of others who are different from oneself.

Step 1: Review Information

For more information about Nebraska 4-H Camps environmental education opportunities and programs, please review our Environmental Education Information for Teachers and Group Leaders packet.

Step 2: Contact Us

To make arrangements for your class to attend an environmental education program, please contact the Nebraska 4-H Camps. We will help you schedule your visit, customize the experience for your class, arrange food services, and provide cost information.

Contact Nebraska 4-H Camps

Step 3: Arrange Transportation

After contacting us and making your reservation, you will need to arrange transportation for your class independently.

Step 4: Distribute Information

You may also need to distribute information to the parents of your students, such as:

• Letters for Parent/Guardian
• Health Forms
• List of what to bring
• School permission slips

Step 5: Finalize Schedule

As your reservation date approaches, we will work with you to set up and finalize your environmental education schedule.

Step 6: Extras, If Applicable

Depending on your class size, schedule, and activities you may need to assign your students to groups or cabins.

You may also prepare name tags for yourself and your students. This is optional but preferred.

Also, depending on your schedule and activities you may need to plan educational content.