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National Association of Conservation Districts Education Hub

National Association of Conservation Districts

The National Association of Conservation Districts supports over 3,000 local districts (almost one in every county) to work with landowners to promote responsible use of land and water. Their national site has links to several resources organized by topics like soil health, wildlife, forestry, and watersheds (click on education resources on the right side of the page). Many of these links take you to other resources like Project WET and the U.S. Forest Service, but it is a good clearinghouse for places to look. In the spring, they also post additional resources for Stewardship week. They do have a Marketplace for more resources, but those are best accessed through local Soil and Water Conservation District offices. They often have employees who run various education programs. These will vary from county to county, but most commonly include "Project Food, Land, and People" and "Envirothon."

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Ag Explorer Resources

FFA

National FFA is another trusted organization in many rural communities. Typically run through high school clubs, there are many leadership and career pathway programs for teens. Several of these programs have overlap with EE goals, including the natural resource and forestry pathways. This link points to activities to help teens explore careers. In particular, the “When I Grow Up” packet has nearly 100 pages of activities aligned with various agricultural careers, linked with NGSS; Common Core ELA, Math, and Art; Social Science; and Career Development standards.

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4-H Clover Resource Hub

4-H

4-H is a national agricultural education program run through state and county extension offices. If you are looking for activities to do on your own, sign up for Clover to access a searchable database by topic, grade level, duration, and course vs. activity. Beyond these curricular resources, an excellent contact is state and local extension offices, who should have an agent assigned to running 4-H. Many local offices have programs linked to horticulture, animal care, and natural resource management, run youth clubs and competitions, and are linked to day and summer camps. There is also a strong positive youth development framework that directly ties with many EE goals.

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Environmental Education Division of Extension

University of Wisconsin - Madison

This website offers new and innovative techniques, lesson plans, studies, and research to help bolster any environmental education curriculum. Explore the programs section to find environmental education lesson plans appropriate for grades 3–12. In addition, their story maps provide engaging resources for use with undergraduates and the local community.

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The Climate Initiative’s Resources for Educators

The Climate Initiative

The Climate Initiative focuses on building resilient communities through local action. Their toolkits and student labs provide non-partisan, solutions-focused education to empower students with the knowledge and skills to address local climate issues.

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Teaching Sustainability in Rural US Classrooms

Sigma Earth

The article provides an overview of the unique challenges and opportunities of teaching sustainability in rural U.S. classrooms, emphasizing the need for creative approaches to integrate sustainability concepts into the curriculum.