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School Programming Opportunities

Teachers, non- formal educators, scouts, and youth group leaders we would love to visit you
and your classroom. We offer classes centered around soil, water and other natural resources.

Programs can be adjusted to fit your classes needs or grade level at no cost to you!

Looking at Leaves
Lunch For a Bear
Oh Deer
Watching Watersheds
Water Cycle Beads
Busy bees, busy blooms
Freddie The Fish
Wild Wetlands
Soil to Spoon
Mysterious Metamorphosis
Food Web Wonders

National programs

Envirothon

NACD Poster Contest

Email [email protected] to register your class. 

Poster Guidelines 2026

Age ranges are based off of state standards and can be adjusted to meet the needs or skill level of any age group.

Have anything else specific you’d like us to teach? Reach out we will see how we can develop and plan a program for you and your students!

Time length can vary based on how much time you have and whether or not we include extension activities.

Contact Elaine Bast (Education and Outreach Coordinator) for more information or to submit a request for a program visit

Email Elaine
Call Elaine

Looking at Leaves

Age: 5-9
Time: 45 minutes
Children practice their observation and matching skills while exploring the characteristics and differences between the leaves of native plants.

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Lunch for a Bear

Age: 5-7: 12-15
Time: 1 hour

Younger children explore the kinds of foods black bears eat through an interactive game and have the chance to make a creative bear craft. Older children learn the food groups of the black bears and how much food they need to survive through an interactive game and math activity.

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Oh Deer

Age: 5-7: 12-15
Time: 1 hour

Younger children explore the needs of wildlife that their habitat provides. Students will use a craft to grasp the concept then play an interactive game to discover what happens if a deer cannot get all of its needs met. Older children will explore the needs of wildlife as well, but will have the chance to see concepts of carrying capacity and limiting factors in action.

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Watching Watersheds

Age: 7-12
Time: 1 hour

In this interactive lesson students will explore what a watershed is, how much water is on our planet through a proportions and percentages activity for older children and
a visual display for younger children, experience pollution at its source, how it impacts waterways and how they can help protect their watershed.

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Water Cycle Beads

Age: 7-12
Time: 50 minutes – 1 hour

In this hands-on lesson students will develop an understanding of the what the water cycle is, how it works, play a game posing as a water molecule and then test their water cycle vocabulary and creativity by writing their personal water molecule journey.

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Busy bees, Busy Blooms

Age: 7-12
Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour

Students will start by exploring the parts a flower then what a pollinator is and the role they play in ecosystems. Concepts will be explored deeper with an active game and discussion to understand the importance of pollinator conservation.

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Freddie The Fish

Age: 6- 8
Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour

In this hands-on lesson students will discover fish characteristics and adaptations as well as specific needs of a fish. Students will then follow Freddie the Fish downstream in an interactive story to gain an understanding of different ways water can become polluted, how it affects the needs of fish.

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Wild Wetlands

Age: 7-12
Time: 1 hour- 1.5 hours

In this visual program students will dive into wetlands and the role they play in our environment by making connections through metaphors with everyday objects. Children can then see some of the ecosystem services wetlands provide through visual and hands on displays.

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Soil to Spoon

Age: 6-8
Time: 30 – 40 minutes

In this program students will explore where our food comes from and have the opportunity for a hands-on experience
where they will develop an understanding of soil, its components, and its importance through observation.

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Mysterious Metamorphosis

Age: 7-9

Time: 40 minutes – 1 hour

Students will explore the wonderful world of insects by discovering butterflies and their metamorphosis. Students will have the opportunity to make a creative craft to expand their exploration of butterflies.

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Food Web Wonders

Age: 8-12
Time: 45 minutes

Students will start by researching a given species. Then in an interactive activity students will pose as their species to see a food web connect in front of them. They will gain an understanding of how species are connected to earth other and the environment.

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Envirothon

Age: 9 – 12 grade

Students explore and expand their knowledge of soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and current environmental issues by
researching and reaching out to specialists in each field.

Teams are made up of 5 students who work together to compete at the Area 2 competition where they will test their knowledge of each topic Program for high school students only and requires a time commitment from students and a staff
member. This is a state wide program that gives students the opportunity to advance to the state and national competition.

This requires a staff advisor, and any travel and competition
fees are funded by the school

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NACD Poster Contest

Age: K-12th grade


The district will hold a poster contest in conjunction with the
Ohio Federation of Soil and Water and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NADC). The contest takes place in spring and a new theme is released each year.

The contest is broken up into age groups. The first-place
winner of each group will be submitted for the state contest
with the possibility to advance to the national contest.

Students complete their poster at home or in class and it is
then submitted to Stark SWCD. More details to be released as
they become available from NACD

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