Check out these tips on fostering a green field trip for your school. First, find a volunteer (either a parent, student or educator) to research an environmentally friendly location for a school field trip. This volunteer should then compile a list of all the green field trips that your school could potential embark upon.

Think about your school’s location and what types of environmentally friendly organizations are close by. If you live near a body of water, see if there is a local governmental or non-profit organization that oversees that body of water, and contact them to see if you could set up a potential field trip there. Are there any wildlife preserves near you? See if you could organize a school field trip near a wildlife preserve.

Once you have your put your list of environmentally friendly field trips together, present that list to the person at your school who oversees scheduling field trips. Be mindful that your school may require permission slips from the students for any school-sponsored field trip.

Remember to create an environmental outcome from your school field trip. One idea for the environmental outcome of the field trip could be for students to learn more about conserving water, or preserving nature, or littering less! Students will be inspired and empowered to care for the environment more because  field trips offer a way for students to really connect with the nature and learn how to protect our Earth.

Lastly, the field trip should always engage students and remain both educational and fun!

Calling Los Angeles high school sophomores and juniors: a two-week, all-expenses-paid scientific expedition for next summer has your name written all over it! The Earthwatch Institute’s Ignite LA Student Science Awards is interested in sending 50+ students to conduct hands-on research: collect data in the field that will impact important environmental issues. It’s also an opportunity to absorb lectures on sustainability issues, bond with your peers and research staff, and experience the natural landscape around you. Recent expeditions have been based in Acadia National Park’s Schoodic Education and Research Center, the Sagehen Creek Research Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as well as the Southwestern Research Station in Arizona.

Applications with two recommendations are due by December 1, 2016.

Apply here!

Looking to explore somewhere closer to home? A Field Trip is an easy-to-customize Grades of Green Earth activity! You’ll learn about environmental/sustainability issues close to home and get inspiration to affect positive change.