environmental education in the national capital region
About
Our Environmental Education Programs in the National Capital region take advantage of the rich biodiversity found in the region. We use local green spaces to engage children and youth in thoughtful and experiential lessons in conservation, watershed science, climate change, and ecology. Our students build skills to become environmental stewards within the community.
Elementary age programs
-
Nature Near Schools is a partnership with DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) to provide 5th grade students in DC with Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs). watershed, ecosystems, and the effects of pollution on the environment. The driving question our young stewards are looking to answer is "What can I as a 5th grader do to protect the environment?” With this in mind, our students will, by year's end, create an action project geared toward improving their school ecosystem and community at large.
-
Kingman Explorers encourages elementary age students to investigate the world around them. Using the habitats and ecosystems at Kingman & Heritage Islands, the program provides lessons in water quality, biodegradation, wildlife biology, and environmental conservation.
-
Living Classrooms offers adventure and ropes course programs, team building, and nature lessons to summer camps and school groups. Our hands-on, experiential approach to learning complements formal in-class education. Choose from a daytime visit with activities and lessons led by trained outdoor educators, or stay overnight for a camp out in our camper houses and indoor bunk beds!
High school age programs
-
In partnership with the Department of Employment Services Summer Youth Employment Program (DOES SYEP), Living Classrooms offers a paid internship program for high school youth. Accepted interns focus on environmental stewardship as a way to develop job skills in professionalism, visitor services, safety, and equipment handling and maintenance.
-
Green Zone Environmental Program (GZEP) is one of the largest green jobs training programs for youth in the nation. Living Classrooms provides job training opportunities at our DC sites that promote an understanding of energy and environmental issues through the completion of community-based environmental work projects such as rain gardens and storm drain markers.
-
Join us as we take a deep dive into the Anacostia River Watershed, from its rich history to promising future by studying the river on the river at Kingman and Heritage Islands. This 5-part project-based learning program focuses on existing pollution in the Anacostia River, where it came from, how it impacts river communities and ecosystems, and what we as high school students can do about it!
Contact Us, Donate, or Volunteer
Have a question about Environmental Education in the NCR? Contact us below and a member of our team will be in touch shortly. Prefer to call? You can reach the Chessie Dragons at (410)528-1060 and the Electric Pirate Ships at (410)528-1087.